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NMIMS Assignment

NMIMS Solved Assignment June 2025

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NMIMS (NCDOE) June 2025 Assignments Are Live! Submit Before 29th May 2025

Business Communication

Q1. Evaluate the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business environments.

Q2. A small retail store, "Style Hub," uses instant messaging to coordinate staff schedules. A last-minute shift swap wasn't clearly communicated in the employee group chat, resulting in the store being understaffed during the busiest period.

How can businesses ensure effective communication through instant messaging while maintaining professionalism?

Q3A. "QuickPulse," a marketing firm, encourages instant messaging for team collaboration. However, constant notifications are disrupting focused work. How can businesses balance the need for real-time communication with the necessity of maintaining employee productivity?

Q3B. A new employee at "Design Dynamics," Anurag, uses instant messaging to communicate with clients, sometimes using casual language and emojis. A senior colleague notices this might not be perceived professionally. What are the key etiquette rules to follow when using instant messaging in a professional setting?

Business Law

Q1. Jainam Patel is a minor whose father Mr. Manish Patel expired in an accident. Manish Patel was a partner in M/s. Jalaram Enterprises, a registered partnership firm under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932. It was decided according the Partnership Deed that on the death of a partner the legal heir should be added as a partner. Jainam Patel was the only surviving legal hier of Manish Patel.

Given the above facts: (i) Can you explain whether Partnership firms allow the admission of partner, even when such incoming partner is a minor and whether such admissions are dealt in the provisions under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932. and (ii) Please highlight and explain the rights and liabilities of such minor (in this case of Jainam Patel) who is ought to be admitted as a partner in a partnership firm with special emphasis on the protection that is provided to a minor under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932.'

Q2. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 protects consumer rights in India and the authorities set up under the law are tasked with the objective of protecting and enforcing these rights. To support the above statement please research and give two (2) real life instances where authorities set up under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 enforced and protected consumer rights in India.

Q3A. WaCal Inc. is an American multinational corporation having global presence in manufacturing and selling sports and adventure related products. It is a market leader in many countries across the globe and its brand "ReaTop" is synonymous with high quality sports goods. The brand is endorsed worldwide by leading sportsperson and adventure enthusiasts. Now, WalCal Inc. is contemplating its entry in India. However, it is apprehensive that its brand “ReaTop” would be imitated and affixed on cheap products in India. Also, there could be instances where different variations of its brand name “ReaTop” would be affixed on products and sold.

It is keen to invest in India especially with the prospect that India’s burgeoning youth population can drive its sales and growth. Please help the company by addressing its apprehension by answering the following query. This will help them draw an effective Intellectual Property strategy.

Query 1- What types of intellectual property rights could WalCal Inc. claim for its products in India including the brand "ReaTop". Please explain with reason, which type(s) of intellectual property would apply?

Q3B. WaCal Inc. is an American multinational corporation having global presence in manufacturing and selling sports and adventure related products. It is a market leader in many countries across the globe and its brand "ReaTop" is synonymous with high quality sports goods. The brand is endorsed worldwide by leading sportsperson and adventure enthusiasts. Now, WalCal Inc. is contemplating its entry in India. However, it is apprehensive that its brand “ReaTop” would be imitated and affixed on cheap products in India. Also, there could be instances where different variations of its brand name “ReaTop” would be affixed on products and sold.

Query 2-Explain civil and criminal remedies under various intellectual property laws for enforcement of intellectual property rights?

Decision Science

1. Calculate Fisher Ideal Index number

Commodities	Base Year Price (P₀)	Base Year Expenditure (E₀)	Current Year Price (P₁)	Current Year Expenditure (E₁)
A	2	40	5	75
B	4	16	8	40
C	1	10	2	24
D	5	25	10	60

Q2 A bag contains 5 white and 3 black balls, 4 balls are successively drawn out and are not replaced. What is the chance that they are taken alternatively of different colours.

Q3 (A).

Marks	No. of Students
0 – 10	10
10 – 20	15
20 – 30	x
30 – 40	30
40 – 50	10
50 – 60	10

Find the missing frequency if N is 100 and median is 30

Q3 (B)

Wages (Rs)
40
44
54
60
62
64
70
80
90
96

Calculate Standard deviation

Essentials of HRM

Q1. Fine Bags and Trolley, a one-year-old company, is planning for rapid expansion. As the HR Head of the company, you have been asked to facilitate fast-paced recruitment. How will you justify the importance and components of job analysis to the top management before proceeding with recruitment? Additionally, develop a comprehensive job analysis for the role of a Sales Executive.

Q2. XYZ Corp. is a well-established technology company with a strong presence in the software development and IT services sector. Over the past five years, the company has experienced rapid growth, expanding its team from 200 employees to over 1,200 employees. Despite the company’s success in expanding its product offerings and client base, XYZ Corp. has faced challenges related to employee engagement, leadership development, and retention. The leadership team at XYZ Corp. has realized that these challenges need to be addressed to maintain the company’s competitive edge and ensure sustainable growth. While the company’s workforce is highly skilled, there has been a noticeable decline in employee satisfaction, particularly among mid-level managers and junior employees. High turnover rates, especially in the IT and product development departments, have raised concerns among HR leadership. Identify the key challenges and HR strategy to handle the situation.

Q3A. A hospital is experiencing an increase in patient complaints regarding delayed response times, inconsistent patient care, and lack of communication from the nursing staff.

1. As a hospital’s Training Manager, keeping various challenges in mind how you will do Training Needs Analysis in the given situation.

Q3B. In the above situation you prefer the internal or external trainer and why?

Operations Management

Q1. A global solar panel manufacturing company is planning to set up a large-scale production facility in South Asia to capitalize on the growing demand for renewable energy and reduce production costs. As the regional head of operations, you are responsible for selecting the most strategic location for the new manufacturing plant. Identify and discuss the key factors that influence the selection of a manufacturing facility location, including economic, logistical, regulatory, and labor-related aspects. Based on these factors, recommend India in South Asia for setting up the facility, providing justifications with relevant data and industry insights to support your decision.

Q2. Explain the fundamental concept of TOC and its significance in optimizing pharmaceutical manufacturing processes by identifying common constraints in the industry. Discuss how synchronous manufacturing can be applied to improve production scheduling and efficiency in the pharmaceutical sector. Also Illustrate how the Drum-Buffer-Rope (DBR) methodology can enhance overall system performance, reduce lead times, and increase throughput in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Q3A. Akasa Air, one of India’s newest airline companies, is focused on enhancing service quality and operational efficiency to establish itself in the competitive aviation sector. The use of quality management tools is crucial for maintaining high service standards, ensuring passenger safety, and optimizing operations. Explain the role of an operations manager in implementing and monitoring quality control measures at Akasa Air, focusing on how these measures contribute to safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Q3B. Akasa Air, one of India’s newest airline companies, is focused on enhancing service quality and operational efficiency to establish itself in the competitive aviation sector. The use of quality management tools is crucial for maintaining high service standards, ensuring passenger safety, and optimizing operations. Discuss the various dimensions of quality in the airline industry, using Akasa Air as an example. Explain how each dimension contributes to enhancing passenger experience and improving operational efficiency.

Strategic Management

Q1. Panniker Foods is a 100-year spices company based in Kottayam, Kerala. The company has been owned & managed by the Panniker family since its inception by its founder Cherayi Panniker – who had started the company after his retirement as the royal chef to the Maharaja of Kerala. From modest beginnings, the company has grown organically to a turnover of Rs.300Cr. Traditionally, the company has been run as a family business, with each generation of the Panniker family automatically joining it – as have all the employees and their families.

Aju Panniker, the great-grandson of the founder has completed his B.Tech in Food Technology in Kerala and as well, his MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC in Los Angeles, California. Thereafter, he has worked for 10years at Heinz Ketchup in the USA. With the current family management growing older, Aju has now returned to head the company as its MD & CEO. Aju is now keen to apply Strategic Management principles to make the company competitive and relevant to the 21st century. Explain how Strategic Management can lead to a Competitive Advantage.

Q2. GREAT Engineering is a 60-year-old Machine Tool firm based in Pasadena, California. The company has been founded, owned & managed by the Trent Family

– in fact, the company’s name is an acronym for the Founders, the brothers GRaham, Edward and Albert Trent. The founders were in fact living the “American Dream” - From modest beginnings, the company has grown organically from a small Contract Machine Shop producing Auto & Aerospace components to a Manufacturer of CNC Vertical Milling Machines with a turnover of $400M. Traditionally, the company has been run as a family business, with the next generation of the Trent family automatically joining it – as have all the employees and their families.

With the current family management growing older, and in order to stay competitive, the Trent family has agreed for GREAT Engineering to be acquired by Milligan & Daniels – the world’s Largest Machine Tool firm. Dean Trent, the eldest grandson of Graham has completed his BS in Engineering and as well, his MBA from UCLA, California, is currently the company’s SVP of Operations. Milligan & Daniels is now keen to apply Strategic Management principles to ensure that GREAT Engineering stays competitive and relevant. Dean has been asked to head the company’s adoption of Strategic Management methods. Discuss the phases of Strategic Management principles and how they contribute to the long-term success of a firm.

Q3 (A) Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak famously started Apple in a garage and began to develop their unique business strategy. The two men had a rough breakdown of business responsibilities: Jobs handled business and creativity, while Wozniak engineered their creations. The problem? Both Jobs and Wozniak were young men without any real business experience, and they needed expert guidance if they were going to get their company off the ground. So, they built a board and brought business experts to help get the fledging tech company going.

And that they did. Apple began to churn out revolutionary computer products, led by the genius of Jobs and Wozniak. Jobs, however, wanted to be CEO. The board pushed back because they felt that Jobs pushed people too hard, rubbed people the wrong way, and burned bridges left and right. He was building an incredible business but making everyone around him unhappy. As a result, Apple’s board believed he wasn’t ready for the CEO role because they felt that he was following Mintzberg’s Entrepreneurial Mode of Strategy.

Describe Mintzberg’s Entrepreneurial Mode of Strategy. What are its Pros & Cons.

Q3(B) In 1983, Jobs recruited the CEO of PepsiCo, John Sculley, to be Apple’s CEO. The Board heartily endorsed Sculley’s appointment as they’d seen his work at PepsiCo and felt that he embodied Mintzberg’s Planning Mode of Strategy.

Describe Mintzberg’s Planning Mode of Strategy. What are its Pros & Cons.

Consumer Behaviour

Q1. Discuss how psychological factors would impact a customer’s purchase choice for a formal dress and LED Television.

Q2. A new organic food brand, "GreenHarvest," has entered the Indian market, targeting health-conscious urban consumers. Despite offering high-quality products, sales remain lower than expected due to consumer scepticism about organic claims and pricing concerns.

Analyze how Indian consumers learn about new product categories like organic food and evaluate the strategies GreenHarvest can implement to enhance consumer learning and drive adoption.

Q3A. Design a marketing campaign that leverages Indian film actors / actresses and online social media influencer to influence teenagers in the age group of 12 years to 18 years to reduce their unnecessary screen time by 50%.

Q3B. Analyze the role of internal marketing in enhancing employee engagement and its subsequent effect on customer satisfaction.

Cost & Management Accounting

Q1. ABC Ltd. is a mid-sized electronics manufacturer facing increasing competition. To maintain its market position, ABC’s leadership wants to upgrade its cost management system and leverage innovative management accounting techniques. The CFO has noticed inefficiencies in cost allocation, particularly in overhead expenses, and believes refining the firm’s management accounting practices could strengthen decision-making and secure a competitive advantage. However, the management team is also aware of the potential limitations and challenges of implementing new systems.

Briefly explain the distinction between cost accounting and management accounting, and discuss why management accounting information is crucial for ABC’s strategic decisions.

Q2. ABC Enterprises manufactures a single product. Below is the cost and sales information for one month:

- Selling price per unit: Rs. 100

- Variable cost per unit: Rs. 60

- Fixed manufacturing and operating costs per month: Rs. 1,20,000

- Expected sales volume for the month: 4,000 units

Required:

1. Calculate the break-even point in units.

2. Determine the number of units ABC Enterprises must sell to earn a target monthly profit of Rs. 40,000.

3. Compute the margin of safety in both units and rupees if the company actually sells 4,000 units.

Q3A. Develop a strategic plan for a company to transition from traditional costing methods to a more dynamic and competitive cost management system?

Q3B. Analyze the impact of adopting activity-based costing (ABC) on the financial performance of a service-oriented company?

Digital Marketing

Q1. PureHarvest Organics

You are a digital marketing consultant hired by PureHarvest Organics, a well- established organic food brand that has built a strong market presence through traditional marketing channels. The brand has gained significant recognition through offline retail partnerships, print media advertisements, word-of-mouth marketing, and in-store promotions. Now, the company wants to expand into digital marketing to reach a broader audience, improve customer engagement, and scale its business online.

Product Portfolio

PureHarvest Organics offers a diverse range of organic food products made from responsibly sourced, chemical-free, and high-quality ingredients. The company’s product portfolio includes:

- Cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive, and mustard oil).

- Whole grains and millets (quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, and buckwheat).

- Natural sweeteners (organic honey, jaggery, and stevia).

- Gluten-free and vegan snacks (seed-based crackers, nut butter, and granola).

- Recently Launched Product: A range of organic, plant-based protein powders, catering to fitness-conscious and vegan consumers.

Values and Commitments

At the core of PureHarvest Organics' ethos are values of transparency, integrity, and sustainability. The company is committed to:

- Ethical sourcing of ingredients from sustainable farms.

- Using eco-friendly packaging materials to reduce plastic waste.

- Minimizing its carbon footprint across production and distribution.

- Supporting environmental initiatives, including organic farming awareness and reforestation programs.

Market Positioning

PureHarvest Organics positions itself as a premium brand within the organic food industry, offering nutrient-rich, chemical-free food options. The brand caters to health-conscious consumers who prioritize clean eating, sustainability, and ethical consumption. Through digital marketing, PureHarvest Organics aims to differentiate itself from competitors by emphasizing product purity, transparency, and eco-friendly practices.

Distribution Channels

Along with its e-commerce platform, PureHarvest Organics distributes its products through:

- Retail partnerships with organic stores, supermarkets, and specialty food outlets.

- Participation in food expos, wellness events, and farmers’ markets to engage directly with consumers.

- Pop-up shops and tasting events to increase brand awareness.

However, the primary focus remains on expanding its online presence and leveraging digital marketing to reach a wider audience of health-conscious consumers globally.

Current Challenge & Digital Expansion

Despite its offline success, PureHarvest Organics has limited digital presence, leading to:

- Missed opportunities to tap into the growing online organic food market.

- Limited customer engagement beyond retail touchpoints.

- Increasing competition from digital-first organic brands.

- Dependency on offline retailers, affecting profit margins.

To stay competitive and scale its business, PureHarvest Organics has decided to venture into digital marketing and has hired you as a consultant to develop a strong digital strategy.

How will you design a digital marketing strategy to help PureHarvest Organics transition from traditional to digital marketing? Provide an overview of the campaign.

Q2. PureHarvest Organics

Product Portfolio

PureHarvest Organics offers a diverse range of organic food products made from responsibly sourced, chemical-free, and high-quality ingredients. The company’s product portfolio includes:

- Cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive, and mustard oil).

- Whole grains and millets (quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, and buckwheat).

- Natural sweeteners (organic honey, jaggery, and stevia).

- Gluten-free and vegan snacks (seed-based crackers, nut butter, and granola).

- Recently Launched Product: A range of organic, plant-based protein powders, catering to fitness-conscious and vegan consumers.

Values and Commitments

At the core of PureHarvest Organics' ethos are values of transparency, integrity, and sustainability. The company is committed to:

- Ethical sourcing of ingredients from sustainable farms.

- Using eco-friendly packaging materials to reduce plastic waste.

- Minimizing its carbon footprint across production and distribution.

- Supporting environmental initiatives, including organic farming awareness and reforestation programs.

Market Positioning

Distribution Channels

Along with its e-commerce platform, PureHarvest Organics distributes its products through:

- Retail partnerships with organic stores, supermarkets, and specialty food outlets.

- Participation in food expos, wellness events, and farmers’ markets to engage directly with consumers.

- Pop-up shops and tasting events to increase brand awareness.

However, the primary focus remains on expanding its online presence and leveraging digital marketing to reach a wider audience of health-conscious consumers globally. Current Challenge & Digital Expansion

Despite its offline success, PureHarvest Organics has limited digital presence, leading

to:

- Missed opportunities to tap into the growing online organic food market.

- Limited customer engagement beyond retail touchpoints.

- Increasing competition from digital-first organic brands.

- Dependency on offline retailers, affecting profit margins.

To stay competitive and scale its business, PureHarvest Organics has decided to venture into digital marketing and has hired you as a consultant to develop a strong digital strategy.

Explain the ASCOR Digital Marketing Model framework in the context of PureHarvest Organics.

Q3 (A) PureHarvest Organics

Product Portfolio

PureHarvest Organics offers a diverse range of organic food products made from responsibly sourced, chemical-free, and high-quality ingredients. The company’s product portfolio includes:

- Cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive, and mustard oil).

- Whole grains and millets (quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, and buckwheat).

- Natural sweeteners (organic honey, jaggery, and stevia).

- Gluten-free and vegan snacks (seed-based crackers, nut butter, and granola).

- Recently Launched Product: A range of organic, plant-based protein powders, catering to fitness-conscious and vegan consumers.

Values and Commitments

At the core of PureHarvest Organics' ethos are values of transparency, integrity, and sustainability. The company is committed to:

- Ethical sourcing of ingredients from sustainable farms.

- Using eco-friendly packaging materials to reduce plastic waste.

- Minimizing its carbon footprint across production and distribution.

- Supporting environmental initiatives, including organic farming awareness and reforestation programs.

Market Positioning

Distribution Channels

Along with its e-commerce platform, PureHarvest Organics distributes its products through:

- Retail partnerships with organic stores, supermarkets, and specialty food outlets.

- Participation in food expos, wellness events, and farmers’ markets to engage directly with consumers.

- Pop-up shops and tasting events to increase brand awareness.

However, the primary focus remains on expanding its online presence and leveraging digital marketing to reach a wider audience of health-conscious consumers globally.

Current Challenge & Digital Expansion

Despite its offline success, PureHarvest Organics has limited digital presence, leading to:

- Missed opportunities to tap into the growing online organic food market.

- Limited customer engagement beyond retail touchpoints.

- Increasing competition from digital-first organic brands.

- Dependency on offline retailers, affecting profit margins.

To stay competitive and scale its business, PureHarvest Organics has decided to venture into digital marketing and has hired you as a consultant to develop a strong digital strategy.

How will you convince management to invest in digital marketing? Compare traditional vs. modern marketing to justify the transition.

Q3(B) PureHarvest Organics

Product Portfolio

PureHarvest Organics offers a diverse range of organic food products made from responsibly sourced, chemical-free, and high-quality ingredients. The company’s product portfolio includes:

- Cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive, and mustard oil).

- Whole grains and millets (quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, and buckwheat).

- Natural sweeteners (organic honey, jaggery, and stevia).

- Gluten-free and vegan snacks (seed-based crackers, nut butter, and granola).

- Recently Launched Product: A range of organic, plant-based protein powders, catering to fitness-conscious and vegan consumers.

Values and Commitments

At the core of PureHarvest Organics' ethos are values of transparency, integrity, and sustainability. The company is committed to:

- Ethical sourcing of ingredients from sustainable farms.

- Using eco-friendly packaging materials to reduce plastic waste.

- Minimizing its carbon footprint across production and distribution.

- Supporting environmental initiatives, including organic farming awareness and reforestation programs.

Market Positioning

Distribution Channels

Along with its e-commerce platform, PureHarvest Organics distributes its products through:

- Retail partnerships with organic stores, supermarkets, and specialty food outlets.

- Participation in food expos, wellness events, and farmers’ markets to engage directly with consumers.

- Pop-up shops and tasting events to increase brand awareness.

However, the primary focus remains on expanding its online presence and leveraging digital marketing to reach a wider audience of health-conscious consumers globally Current Challenge & Digital Expansion

Despite its offline success, PureHarvest Organics has limited digital presence, leading

to:

- Missed opportunities to tap into the growing online organic food market.

- Limited customer engagement beyond retail touchpoints.

- Increasing competition from digital-first organic brands.

- Dependency on offline retailers, affecting profit margins.

To stay competitive and scale its business, PureHarvest Organics has decided to venture into digital marketing and has hired you as a consultant to develop a strong digital strategy.

At an organizational level, what challenges will you face while integrating digital marketing with its existing traditional marketing efforts for PureHarvest Organics?

International Business

Q1. Critically infer the complex relationship between international business activities and a nation's economic growth. Elaborate both the potential advantages and disadvantages, considering the role of foreign direct investment, trade liberalization, and technological diffusion. How can developing economies strategically leverage international business to foster sustainable economic development while mitigating potential risks?

Q2. Multinational companies (MNCs) operate across diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts. Evaluate the effectiveness of different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies employed by MNCs in addressing the varied challenges they encounter. Critically assess the extent to which these strategies genuinely contribute to sustainable development versus serving as mere public relations tools. Consider the roles of stakeholder engagement, ethical supply chains, and environmental stewardship in your evaluation.

Q3A. Global Tech, a US-based software company, is expanding its operations into Japan. The company's management team, accustomed to direct and assertive communication, has noticed that their Japanese counterparts seem hesitant to express dissenting opinions and often rely on indirect communication. This has led to misunderstandings and delays in project implementation.

Question: Design a comprehensive communication strategy for Global Tech that bridges the cultural gap and fosters effective collaboration between the US and Japanese teams. Consider specific cultural dimensions (e.g., Hofstede's cultural dimensions) and propose practical solutions to address the communication challenges.

Q3B. Fashion Fusion, a European clothing brand known for its trendy and revealing designs, is planning to enter the Middle Eastern market. Initial market research indicates a strong interest in Western fashion, but also reveals cultural sensitivities regarding modesty and traditional values.

Question: Develop a tailored market entry strategy for Fashion Fusion that balances the brand's identity with the cultural norms of the Middle Eastern market. Propose specific adaptations in product design, marketing, and distribution to ensure successful market penetration.

Organisational Theory, Structure and Design

Q1 Examine the important features of a large-scale organisation vs a start-up company. Add suitable examples.

Q2 News Network has a declining market share in India. Examine the McKinsey’s 7-S Framework for identifying the different internally focussed organisational aspects for securing the firm’s market position. Give suitable examples.

Q3 (A) Vishal, the CEO of Amex web services company has introduced a new organisation culture for improving Organisational Effectiveness. In this context, answer the following with examples:

Examine different organisational parameters for improving a web service company’s Effectiveness.

Q3 (B) Vishal, the CEO of Amex web services company has introduced a new organisation culture for improving Organisational Effectiveness. In this context, answer the following with examples:

Evaluate the Goal Approach theory highlighting its merits and demerits.

Project Management

Q1. Discuss the role of a project manager in ensuring the successful completion of any project. In addition to conceptual details, support your answer with atleast two real examples/references of any recent projects (For instance a township, metro project, etc)

Q2. In the post Covid scenario (considering the gap in business cycles), firms had to reschuled project deadlines and relook at the cost repurcussions due to the delays. Taking an instance of a project of your choice (say a real estate project or a software development) explain the significance of the 'triple constraints' in project management and how they impact project success.

Q3A. Business have become global in the last couple of decades. For instance players like Boeing adapt concurrent engineering to develop aircrafts by simultaneously sourcing from several suppliers across the globe. As a result coordination cannot be awaiting feedback in a sequential flow, rather has to be escalated simultaneously. In these kind of situational context, discuss how can project management software enhance the efficiency of managing complex projects, and what factors should be considered when selecting such software?

Q3B. Business have become global in the last couple of decades. For instance players like Boeing adapt concurrent engineering to develop aircrafts by simultaneously sourcing from several suppliers across the globe. As a result coordination cannot be awaiting feedback in a sequential flow, rather has to be escalated simultaneously. In these kind of situational context, critically assess the importance of stakeholder management in project success and how it can be integrated into the project management process.

Capital Market and Portfolio Management

Q1. David and Sarah, have different perspectives on how to measure risk and construct portfolios. David follows the Capital Market Line (CML) approach, believing that a well-diversified portfolio should be assessed based on total risk (standard deviation). He argues that the CML represents the best possible combination of risk and return, achievable only through a mix of the risk-free asset and the market portfolio. Sarah, however, trusts the Security Market Line (SML), insisting that risk should be measured by beta, which only considers systematic risk. How would you help David and Sarah resolve their debate? How does the Capital Market Line (CML) differ from the Security Market Line (SML) in terms of risk measurement and portfolio representation?

Q2. Explain how the combination of risky and risk-free assets can be used to construct an optimal portfolio. What role does the CML play in this process?

Q3A. The Investor has Rs.30,000/—and decides to invest equally in mutual funds and shares. The expected return from mutual funds is 5% p.a., and from shares is 10% p.a. Calculate the total expected return for one year.

Q3B. John is a young investor eager to build his stock portfolio. Mr. Davis, introduces him to the concept of beta. One day, John analyzes two stocks: Stock A has a beta of 1.5, while Stock B has a beta of 0.7. Mr. Davis asks him:

“John, if the market rises by 10%, how much would you expect each stock to move? And if the market crashes by 10%, which stock would be riskier? More importantly, based on your risk tolerance, which stock should you choose?”

How should John use beta to make his decision? What does beta tell him about the risk and expected return of each stock? Evaluate the significance of beta in the context of CAPM. How does beta influence investment decisions?

Corporate Finance

Q1. Atlas Auto Components, a manufacturer of premium car accessories, reported total revenue of Rs.42,00,000 in the past financial year. The company produced and sold 21,000 units of its flagship product, high-performance car seat covers. The cost structure for the year was as follows:

- Raw Materials: Rs.7,20,000

- Labour Costs: Rs.11,40,000

- Manufacturing Overheads: Fixed: Rs.2,10,000Variable: Rs.1,75,000

To expand its market reach, Atlas Auto Components also spent Rs.1,80,000 on advertising and sales promotions, which are categorized as fixed expenses. Additionally, the company has an outstanding loan of Rs.18,00,000, borrowed at an interest rate of 7.5%.

Required:

Based on the above information, calculate the Degree of Operating Leverage (DOL), Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL), and Degree of Total Leverage (DTL) to assess the company's financial risk and operational efficiency.

Comment on its financial position based on the Leverages.

Q2. NovaTech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a technology infrastructure company, is planning a large-scale expansion by setting up an advanced AI-driven manufacturing facility. The estimated capital requirement for the project is Rs.750 crores. The management is evaluating whether to raise the funds through debt, equity, or a combination of both.

Company’s Current Financial Position:

- Existing Equity Base: Rs.1,200 crores

- Existing Debt: Rs.1,440 crores

- Current Debt-Equity Ratio: 1.2:1

- Maximum Acceptable Debt-Equity Ratio: 2:1

- Current Return on Equity (ROE): 27%

- Cost of Debt: 9%

- Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT): Rs.600 crores

- Corporate Tax Rate: 30%

The company is considering three possible funding strategies:

1. Full Debt Financing: Raising the entire Rs.750 crores through debt.

2. Full Equity Financing: Issuing new shares worth Rs.750 crores.

3. Hybrid Approach: Raising Rs.450 crores through debt and Rs.300 crores through equity.

Maximum Acceptable Debt-Equity Ratio: 2:1.

Advise on the best way to finance it discussing on each option w.r.t. its advantages and disadvantages. (Hint: Consider impact profitability and any other ratios as may be appropriate)

Q3 (A) ABC Ltd., a consumer electronics company, has provided the following financial details for the year ending 2024:

- Current Assets: Rs.12,00,000

- Current Liabilities: Rs.6,00,000

- Cash & Cash Equivalents: Rs.1,80,000

- Inventory: Rs.3,00,000

- Net Credit Sales: Rs.24,00,000

- Accounts Receivable: Rs.4,00,000

Required: Calculate any the below Liquidity ratios and briefly comment on the company's liquidity position:

1. Current Ratio

2. Quick Ratio (Acid-Test Ratio)

3. Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio

Q3 (B) Sancha House is putting up a new Ice Cream Factory whose initial cost is Rs. 300,000. It expects to get inflows of Rs. 154000, Rs. 155,000, Rs. 175,000, Rs. 182,000 and Rs. 198,000. Cost of borrowing for this project is 11%. Calculate the NPV and decide whether it is a good proposal to invest in.

Marketing of Financial Services

Q1. In the dynamic landscape of banking and financial institutions, the delivery of financial services encompasses multifaceted attributes that define their operational framework. Given the regulatory, risk management, and client- centric considerations, how do banks or financial entities structure and differentiate their service offerings? Discuss the intrinsic characteristics that govern financial services, ensuring alignment with market demands and institutional objectives?

Q2. How can a bank classify its insurance services to cater to different demographic segments, including High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs), middle-income groups, and various age brackets ranging from youth to senior citizens? Explain how commercial banks segment and structure their insurance plans to meet the diverse needs of their clients?

Q3A. When a research agency aims to analyze the financial services marketing landscape within a specific geographical region, certain foundational factors play a crucial role. What key elements should be evaluated to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market dynamics, consumer behavior, and regulatory environment? Discuss the fundamental aspects that shape financial services marketing in a given location?

Q3B. As a seasoned professional approaches the transition from an active career to retirement, the final five years (ages 55 to 60) become critical for financial and lifestyle planning. What are the key factors that should be strategically assessed during this phase to ensure a stable and well-prepared retirement? Discuss the essential considerations that shape this crucial period?

Strategic Cost Management

Q1. Tachi Ltd. is a mid-sized manufacturing company producing two product lines: Standard Widgets and Custom Widgets. The company has been using Traditional Costing to allocate overhead costs, based on machine hours. However, the management has noticed that despite increased production efficiency, profit margins are declining, especially for Standard Widgets.

A cost consultant suggests implementing Activity-Based Costing (ABC) to allocate costs more accurately based on actual resource consumption. After an initial analysis, it is found that Custom Widgets require more design modifications, customer support, and quality checks compared to Standard Widgets. The consultant argues that the current system is over-costing Standard Widgets and under-costing Custom Widgets. Analyze the situation and compare Traditional Costing and Activity-Based Costing in the context of Tachi Ltd. Justify whether implementing ABC would benefit Tachi Ltd.

Q2. Active Ltd. is a consumer electronics company operating in a highly competitive market. The management wants to evaluate the company’s financial performance over the last two years to understand its profitability and efficiency trends. The following financial data is provided for the past two years:

Particulars	Year 1 (Rs. in Lakhs)	Year 2 (Rs. in Lakhs)
Sales	1,200	1,400
Cost of Goods Sold	720	920
Net Profit	120	110
Total Assets	800	1,100
Shareholders' Equity	500	650

You’re required to calculate the following financial ratios for both years:

1. Gross Profit Margin

2. Net Profit Margin

3. Return on Assets (ignore taking average)

4. Return on Equity (ignore taking average)

Analyze the trends in these ratios and comment on the company’s financial performance.

Q3A. Beta Ltd. is a growing manufacturing company that produces a single product. The company's management is evaluating its cost structure to prepare a budget for different production levels. The finance team has provided the following cost details:

Variable Costs per unit:

Direct Materials: Rs.50
Direct Labor: Rs.30
Variable Overheads: Rs.20

Fixed Costs:

Fixed Overheads: Rs.40,000 per month

The company is considering two possible production levels: 1,000 units and 1,500 units. You’re required to, based on the given cost structure, prepare a Flexible Budget for both capacity levels.

Q3B. Beta Ltd. is a growing manufacturing company that produces a single product. The company's management is evaluating its cost structure to prepare a budget for different production levels. The finance team has provided the following cost details:

Variable Costs per unit:

Direct Materials: Rs.50
Direct Labor: Rs.30
Variable Overheads: Rs.20

Fixed Costs:

Fixed Overheads: Rs.40,000 per month

The company is considering two possible production levels: 1,000 units and 1,500 units. You’re required to analyze the impact of increasing production on total costs.

Taxation - Direct and Indirect

Q1. Mr. Gajendra, a business owner, failed to comply with Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) provisions, leading to the disallowance of 30% of royalty payments to Mr. Bani and 30% of employee salaries during the computation of business income for AY 2023–2024. The royalty payment’s TDS was deducted but not deposited on time, while salaries were paid without deducting TDS as required under Section 192. Analyze the impact of this non-compliance on the firm’s tax liability and financial statements. How could better TDS management have prevented these disallowances? Propose strategies to strengthen TDS compliance and mitigate future risks.

Q2. XYZ Pvt. Ltd. operates across multiple states, dealing with both direct and indirect taxes. The company’s payroll involves TDS deductions, while its product pricing includes GST. The management is concerned about the impact of TDS on employee cash flows and how indirect taxes influence consumer behavior. As a consultant of XYZ Pvt. Ltd. analyze the differences between direct and indirect taxes, and explain how TDS fits into the taxation system?

Q3 (A) XYZ Ltd. regularly pays consultants and vendors for professional services. In one instance, the company failed to deduct Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on a Rs.50,000 payment. As a result, a portion of the expense was disallowed during tax assessment, increasing the company’s tax liability. Explain the role of TDS in ensuring compliance with tax laws and its effect on tax evasion.

Q3B. ABC Pvt. Ltd. has recently started making monthly rent payments of Rs.50,000. To comply with tax regulations, the company must manage its TDS obligations accurately. After obtaining a TAN, the company deducts tax at the applicable rate and deposits it with the government. Analyze the importance of obtaining a TAN for ABC Pvt. Ltd. Explain the process of obtaining a TAN and its role in the TDS system.

Compensation & Benefits

Q1 You have been Hired in Human Resource Department of a Manufacturing Organisation. The most important task which has been assigned to You by Human Resource Manager is to determine and decide wage rate of employees. Assuming the above-mentioned Responsibility, How will you design the Wage Rate of employees. Also Discuss the factors which will be kept in Mind while designing Wage Rates.

Q2 Tanisha, The General Manager of a Multi-national Corporation believes that there should be a growing focus on creating a more cooperative environment where staff members may learn talents and information with one another through cooperating on projects as a team. She wants to reinforce Team Based rewards in the organisations. She believes that it can foster Quality teams and break the monotony of rivalry in the organisation. Give Arguments in the favour of Tanisha regarding Team based Rewards as opposed to conventional methods of Pay.

Q3 (A) Mr. Smith is working in Human Resource Management Department of a Tech Company. He has been Assigned the job of making and maintaining Payroll system of the organisation.

He later found that other organisations are using Payroll Management Software to make and maintain Payroll which has increased efficiency in the organisations. Explain the Process Which Mr. Smith has to undertake to execute Payroll System.

Q3 (B) You have been given a task to be a Liason with IT Department in implementing Payroll Management Software. What Factors would you keep in mind while facilitation the creating of Payroll Management Software?

Industrial Relations & Labour Laws

Q1 A manufacturing company in India is facing a major labor dispute due to sudden layoffs without prior notice. The employees have approached labor authorities, citing unfair dismissal under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

Based on your understanding of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, how would you apply its provisions to this case? What key aspects of the Act should be remembered while addressing such conflicts, and how do they help in understanding its role in resolving disputes between employers and employees?

Q2 A factory worker in India, who has been employed for five years, is suddenly terminated without prior notice or proper compensation. The worker approaches the labor court, claiming unfair dismissal and demanding rightful compensation under labor laws such as the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

Based on this scenario, how would you apply your understanding of India’s labor legislation to assess the worker’s legal rights and potential remedies? Discuss the effectiveness of labor laws in addressing such disputes.

Q3 (A) A large manufacturing firm is experiencing frequent conflicts between management and workers, leading to reduced productivity and high employee turnover. The management is considering implementing new industrial relations strategies to align the workforce with organizational go.

As a consultant, analyze how industrial relations can contribute to achieving organizational objectives. Based on your analysis, create a strategic approach that fosters a balance between employer and employee interests while enhancing productivity and workplace harmony.

Q3 (B) A country is facing criticism for poor labor conditions, including low wages and unsafe workplaces. International organizations have urged the government to reform its labor laws to align with global standards. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has stepped in to provide guidelines and recommendations for policy changes. Analyze the role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in shaping labor legislation globally.

Manpower Planning, Recruitment and Selection

Q1 Rahul is responsible for conducting Induction and orientation of new joinees in the Production department. In this context, explain how does the induction and orientation program contribute to the success of new employees in an organization?

Q2 Right man in the right job is the key role of the Human Resource Department in any organisation. In light of the above statement, discuss the role of manpower planning in ensuring the optimal use of human resources within an organization.

Q3 (A) Explain the differences between micro-level and macro-level manpower planning and their impact on organizational strategy.

Q3 (B) A happy employee is a productive employee. Thus employee motivation drives employee engagement in an organisation. Analyze the importance of internal staffing and how it can affect employee motivation and retention.

Organisation Culture

Q1 At NeoGen Pharmaceuticals, efforts to build a culture of innovation—such as launching idea-sharing platforms and flexible work policies—have seen limited success. Many employees continue following traditional methods, and managers are reluctant to allow time for experimentation. As part of the strategy team, explain what an organizational culture of innovation is, how leadership can influence its development, and recommend practical strategies NeoGen’s leaders could implement to overcome these barriers and foster creativity and adaptability. Support your answer with a real-world example.

Q2 Organisational Culture and Leadership

Scenario:

GlobalTech, a multinational technology firm, recently acquired a fast-growing AI startup, InnovAI, to enhance its machine-learning capabilities. While the acquisition presents significant growth opportunities, cultural clashes have emerged. GlobalTech follows a structured, process-driven approach, whereas InnovAI thrives on agility and a startup mindset. Employees from InnovAI feel stifled by the rigid corporate environment, and GlobalTech's senior leaders struggle to align the two work cultures without disrupting operations or employee morale.

Question:

As a leadership consultant, analyze how leadership can shape and sustain organizational culture in the context of mergers and acquisitions. Evaluate the key challenges GlobalTech's leaders might face in integrating InnovAI's culture while ensuring organizational effectiveness. What strategic leadership actions can they take to foster a seamless transition and long-term cultural alignment? Support your answer with a real-world example of a successful or failed cultural integration in an M&A scenario.

Q3 (A) Organisational Culture and Business Strategy

At NovaGen Biotech, leadership aims to expand into new markets while preserving its innovative, collaborative culture. As part of the strategic planning team, design a strategy that aligns NovaGen’s culture with its long-term business objectives in a fast-changing industry. Support your response with a real-world example of an organization that has successfully achieved this alignment.

Q3 (B) Question 3.b:

VibraTech, a global technology firm known for its structured, process-driven culture, has recently acquired FlexInnovate, a startup celebrated for its informal, agile, and highly innovative work environment. Soon after the merger, challenges emerge: communication gaps, cultural clashes, and employee disengagement threaten to derail integration efforts.

As part of the post-merger integration team, design a strategic approach to address the cultural challenges, nurture synergy, and sustain productivity and employee engagement across both organizations. Support your response with a real-world example of how another company successfully navigated cultural integration after a merger or acquisition.

Performance Management System

Q1 Performance Management at NexonTech

NexonTech, a mid-sized IT solutions firm, has been facing challenges with its performance management system. The company recently hired Aditi as the new HR Director to revamp its approach to performance management and align it with the organization’s strategic goals.

During her initial assessment, Aditi realized that employees were unclear about their performance expectations, leading to inconsistent appraisals and dissatisfaction. Managers conducted performance reviews without a structured performance planning process, causing gaps between individual contributions and the company’s long-term objectives.

To address this, Aditi proposed a structured Performance Planning framework where employees set clear, measurable goals in alignment with NexonTech’s strategic vision. She also introduced regular check-ins and feedback loops to ensure continuous performance tracking.

However, as she rolled out the new system, ethical concerns emerged. Some employees feared that performance ratings could be manipulated to favor certain individuals, while others questioned if the evaluation metrics were truly objective. Aditi had to ensure fairness, transparency, and ethical integrity in the system to maintain employee trust and motivation.

As NexonTech moves forward, Aditi must balance individual growth with organizational priorities, ensuring that employees see how their contributions directly impact the company’s success.

Question: - How does performance planning serve as a precursor to effective performance management systems in organizations?

Q2 Performance Management at NexonTech

As NexonTech moves forward, Aditi must balance individual growth with organizational priorities, ensuring that employees see how their contributions directly impact the company’s success.

Question: - Analyze the ethical considerations involved in performance management and how they impact organizational practices.

Q3 (A) Performance Management at NexonTech

As NexonTech moves forward, Aditi must balance individual growth with organizational priorities, ensuring that employees see how their contributions directly impact the company’s success.

Question: - Evaluate the importance of aligning individual performance with organizational strategic goals.

Q3 (B) Performance Management at NexonTech

As NexonTech moves forward, Aditi must balance individual growth with organizational priorities, ensuring that employees see how their contributions directly impact the company’s success.

Question: - Discuss the role of technology in enhancing the effectiveness of Performance Management Systems (PMS).

Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk

Q1. Prepare an executive summary, in your own words, based on the disclosures under Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators from the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report (BRSR) 2023-24 of any one of the companies listed here, TCS, ITC, L&T, Cipla or Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. The summary should include policies, processes and initiatives deployed by the company to uphold Principle 1—conducting business with integrity, ethics, transparency, and accountability.

Q2. Go through the ‘Management Discussion & Analysis’ section under the Director’s Report in the annual report (FY2023-24) of any ONE of the company lister here (ICICI Bank, Wipro, Nestle India, Tata Motors or Dr. Reddy's Lab Ltd) and explain in your own words how the company is managing its operational risk – both threats and opportunities. You must mention the name of the company you select.

Q3a. Describe three ways of incorporating ethical decision-making processes or tools into your daily business decisions, regardless of your current business type, role, function, or designation.

Q3b. According to you, how can the three branches of ethics—normative ethics, meta- ethics, and applied ethics - be applied in real life to understanding ethical dilemmas in business?

Research Methodology

Q1. Organic Tattva is conducting a market survey to analyze customer behavior for their newly launched organic products (visit:

https://organictattva.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAw5W-BhAhEiwApv4goIk7DT9YISO97F7TyXm3JIn92jFB4fJ9tykLXpzzCFPLRb8ajj rUYxoCFI4QAvD_BwE

As a market researcher, develop the broad problem area, research questions, and interview questionnaire.

Q2. What is a moderating variable? How a mediating variable is different from moderating variable? Develop a conceptual model by analyzing literature to show the relationship of mediating and moderating variable.

Q3A. How can the hypothetico-deductive method be applied to solve a complex business problem, and what are the potential challenges in its application?

Q3B. Hypothesis:

“Consumers' preference for Campacola over global brands (e.g., Coca-Cola, Pepsi) is significantly influenced by nostalgia and affordability rather than taste and health benefits.”

Survey Question to Test This Hypothesis:

Q: What is the primary reason you would choose Campacola over other soft drink brands? (Select the most important factor)

- Nostalgia (childhood memories, brand heritage)

- Affordability (lower price compared to Coca-Cola/Pepsi)

- Taste (unique flavor profile)

- Health benefits (less sugar, natural ingredients)

- Indian-origin brand preference

- Other (please specify):

You have to choose, examine and elaborate on one of the options/factors given in the survey question.

Treasury Management in Banking

Q1. Traditionally, Banks had the strength of providing Treasury products & services. You have been appointed as Treasury Consultant by an MNC Corporates to set- up Treasury for Treasury activities like Forex, Liquidity Management, Risk Management & Investments of the Organisation. Enumerate and describe at least 5 Objectives for which Corporate Treasury will take care in addition to maintaining relations with the Bank's Treasury Relationship Manager/Treasurer, Comply with Risk Management Policy of the company & use of Treasury products approved by Bank.

Q2. You are appointed as a Treasurer of the Bank. Explain how you will manage the Treasury of the Bank with regard to Liquidity Management, Interest Rates, cost of funds, Proprietary or Merchant Forex position, ALM approved by Alco Committee, Risk Management approved by RMC, Capital of the bank, as approved by Management. Explain with examples as to how CCIL help in management of Integrated Treasury Management products like Trade Finance, Forex - Spot/Forwards, and Treasury Management is a used by Banks, Fx Retail by Corporates, Trep by Mutual Funds and Financial Institutions in India. Explain Integrated Treasury Management with example of Trading and Settlement thru CCIL.

Q3A. Amit, a treasury manager at a commercial bank, is responsible for managing the bank’s liquidity, investments, and risk exposures. While he is well-versed in Repo and Reverse Repo operations, he wants to gain a deeper understanding of the key pillars of treasury management beyond these instruments. With increasing financial market complexities and regulatory changes, Amit needs to explore how modern treasury management helps optimize cash flow, manage risks, and ensure profitability for the bank. Considering, the various Risks faced by the Dealers and Dealing room of a bank, As a banking consultant, Describe the pillars of treasury management in Commercial Banking over and above Repo /Reverse Repo, CRR/SLR, Liquidity to be practiced by the Dealers in the Bank?

What's your suggestion for the Central Bank, Semi-Regulators like FEDAI, FIMMDA, FBIL etc to issue guidelines from time to time on Integrated Treasury business of the bank with regard to the Risk in products offered by the Bank.

Q3B. In March 2022, Major Central banks world-wide increased the interest rates to control the double-digit inflation in their country. This resulted in failure of few banks in US and merger of major banks in Switzerland. Cosidering this aspect, discuss the role of Treasury in management of liquidity, inflation, interest rates and cost of funds. What happens when interest rates are increased or reduced by central bank on the Treasury's profitability/liquidity on maintenance of CRR/SLR with the Central Bank. In given context, explain the key functions of treasury management, such as liquidity management, asset-liability management (ALM), and investment strategies and evaluate how risk management, regulatory compliance, and capital adequacy play a crucial role in a bank’s treasury operations.

International Banking & Foreign Exchange Management

Q1. Madhav is applying for a job in an international bank. In order to prepare for his interview he has to research the workings for similar banks in the industry. Discuss how international banks like HSBC and Citigroup manage to provide both domestic and international banking services effectively?

Q2. Bank of Cooperative India does not have a branch in Sweden but needs to process international transactions for a client with business interests there. Given this situation, correspondent banking plays a crucial role in enabling cross-border transactions. Evaluate the role of correspondent banks in ensuring seamless foreign exchange transactions and international trade payments.

Q3A. Global Bank Ltd., an international financial institution, is expanding its operations across multiple countries. As part of its growth strategy, the bank must deal with foreign exchange transactions daily, facilitating cross-border trade, investments, and remittances. However, fluctuations in exchange rates pose both opportunities and risks for the bank. As a financial strategist for Global Bank Ltd., design a comprehensive strategy as how banks can manage exchange rate risks and highlight the key role and significance of the foreign exchange market in international banking.

Q3B. Raman, an Indian professional working in the U.S., needs to send money to his family in India. He discovers that his bank offers remittance services but charges high fees. With the rise of digital banking, many international banks now provide cross-border remittance services, yet they face several operational and regulatory challenges. As a financial consultant for an international bank, design an innovative framework or a strategy to address the key challenges faced by the international banks in managing cross-border remittances. Also, propose framework for balancing cost-effectiveness, speed, and regulatory compliance in context to the given scenario.

Insurance & Risk Management

Q1. Mr. Rajiv, a married man with two children, recently underwent surgery, prompting him to reflect on his family's financial security in his absence. Concerned about his dependents' future, he decided to consult his friend, an insurance advisor, to gain insights into life insurance policies and their associated benefits. Explain to Mr. Rajiv the concept of life insurance, its significance, and the need for securing his family's financial well-being.

Q2. Ravi, a 35-year-old marketing professional with a demanding job that involves frequent travel, has never prioritized health insurance. However, when his close friend was hospitalized due to a sudden medical emergency, Ravi witnessed firsthand the financial burden of high hospital bills. This experience made him question his own financial preparedness for unexpected medical expense. As a financial consultant, evaluate Ravi’s current situation and assess the significance of having a health insurance policy and assess the key benefits of health insurance, such as hospitalization coverage, cashless treatment, tax advantages, and protection against rising medical costs.

Q3. Amit works at a private investment firm. Unlike his parents, who were employed in government jobs with secure retirement benefits, Amit does not have the same financial safety net. As he approaches mid-career, he becomes increasingly concerned about his financial security post-retirement. Without a structured pension plan, he worries about managing his expenses, healthcare, and maintaining his lifestyle in his later years.

a. As a financial advisor, identify and explain the key risks Amit should consider while planning for his retirement.

b. With respect to the above scenario Outline the step-by-step process involved in creating a comprehensive retirement plan to ensure financial stability in his post- retirement years.

Financial Institutions and Markets

Q1. Amit, an aspiring entrepreneur, is planning to start a café business and approaches a commercial bank for a business loan. During his discussion with the bank manager, he learns that banks not only provide loans but also play a crucial role in managing savings and facilitating investments. He also realizes that commercial banks act as financial intermediaries, helping individuals and businesses by ensuring the smooth flow of funds in the economy. With the given scnenario, explain important functions of commercial bank and Analyze how banks use credit creation to promote entrepreneurship and overall economic development.

Q2. Arun, a young professional, has recently started his career and is keen on ensuring financial security for himself and his family. During a discussion with a financial advisor, he learns that insurance companies function as financial intermediaries by collecting premiums from policyholders and investing these funds to provide financial protection. Curious about the benefits of life insurance, Arun wants to explore the various life insurance plans available in the market. Evaluate some of the insurance plans that can help him safeguard his future and protect his loved ones from financial uncertainties.

Q3A. Ms. Priya, a recent bank recruit, has started earning a steady income and aims to build her financial future by saving and investing wisely. Her colleagues suggest that Mutual Funds (MFs) could be an ideal investment option. However, as she is unfamiliar with MFs, she wants to develop a personalized investment strategy that aligns with her financial goals and risk appetite. As a financial advisor, help Ms. Priya design a suitable mutual fund investment plan by addressing the following:

a) Create an investment strategy that explains mutual funds and how they can help Ms. Priya achieve her financial goals.

Q3B. In context to the above scenario, Design a diversified mutual fund portfolio by selecting different types of mutual funds based on her risk appetite and investment objectives (Short, medium and long term goals). Justify your choices.

International Finance

Q1. How did the Bretton Woods System shape the evolution of international financial frameworks, particularly in defining exchange rate mechanisms? Analyze its lasting impact on global monetary policies and financial stability, considering its role in influencing modern exchange rate regimes.

Q2. How does the discipline of International Finance serve as a nexus point that integrates critical elements of macroeconomic theory and global financial oversight? Consider the interconnected framework through which exchange rates, capital flows, and monetary policies transcend national boundaries to form a cohesive system. In what ways does this field provide both theoretical foundations and practical applications that enable practitioners to navigate the complexities of an increasingly interdependent world economy?

Q3A. How does the concept of international competitive advantage shape modern financial systems and cross-border capital flows? In what ways does it influence global investment patterns and the specialization of financial services between the USA, Germany, and the UK as per International Comparative Advantage Theory? Explain the paradigm.

Q3B. In the realm of international banking, financial institutions often rely on specific account structures to facilitate cross-border transactions. How does the operational significance of a Vostro account ensure seamless foreign exchange settlements and regulatory compliance? What key role does it play in managing correspondent banking relationships?

Strategic Financial Management

Q1. Imagine a company, XYZ Corp, facing increasing competition in the market while also dealing with rising operational costs. The management team is considering different financial strategies to ensure the company's growth and profitability over the next decade. How might strategic financial management help XYZ Corp navigate these challenges and secure its long-term success?

Q2. Scenario: XYZ Corp, a mid-sized manufacturing company, has been experiencing fluctuating profitability due to rising raw material costs and increasing competition from international players. Recently, a new market opportunity has emerged in a neighboring country, where demand for their products is growing. However, entering this market would require significant investment in supply chain restructuring and compliance with new regulations. Additionally, the firm has limited financial resources, making it essential to optimize its capital allocation.

Question:

How can strategic financial management help XYZ Corp align its internal resource capabilities (such as capital, workforce, and production capacity) with external threats (competition and cost fluctuations) and opportunities (new market entry)? What financial strategies should the company consider to balance risk and growth?

Q3A. Explain the importance of financial planning in strategic financial management and how it aids in achieving a firm's long-term goals.

Q3B. A retail company, TrendMart, has been operating successfully for a decade, but recent shifts in consumer preferences, supply chain disruptions, and economic uncertainties have put pressure on its financial stability. The rise of e-commerce and digital payment solutions presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the company. While some competitors have swiftly adapted by investing in technology and agile financial strategies, TrendMart struggles with outdated financial planning and rigid budgeting processes.

In what ways can adaptability in strategic financial management help TrendMart respond to these market changes, mitigate financial risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities to sustain long-term growth?

Digital Payments

Q1. Discuss how digital payment systems like UPI and e-wallets contribute to the development of a cashless economy. Consider a scenario where a local market vendor in Mumbai transitions from accepting only cash payments to integrating UPI and e- wallet payments, based on the scenario, explain the key features of UPI and e-wallets that enable their this widespread adoption.

Q2. Evaluate the security measures involved in digital payment processing, analyze their effectiveness in preventing fraud, and propose potential improvements to enhance their robustness. Provide specific examples of common fraud attempts and how current security measures address them.

Q3A. Describe the process of digital payment processing, highlighting the roles of different parties involved, by applying it to a real-world scenario such as booking a flight ticket online. Explain the steps involved from the moment the customer initiates the booking to the final settlement, and detail the specific functions of the customer, payment gateway, payment processor, issuing bank, acquiring bank, and the merchant in ensuring a secure and efficient transaction.

Q3B. Analyze the common real-time problems faced during digital payment processing, such as transaction failures, security breaches, and user errors, in the context of booking a flight ticket online. Discuss the potential causes of these issues, their impact on both customers and merchants, and the measures that can be taken to mitigate these problems. Provide specific examples to illustrate your points.

IT Security and Risk Management

Q1 Discuss different types of security threats and explain how organizations can mitigate these threats using appropriate countermeasures. Provide real-world examples to support your answer.

Q2 Analyze how ethical hacking differs from malicious hacking in terms of intent, methodology, and impact. Evaluate the ethical and legal considerations in conducting penetration testing on corporate networks. Provide real-world examples to support your answer.

Q3A. A multinational company has developed a comprehensive security policy to safeguard its information assets. However, some employees frequently bypass security controls, such as using weak passwords and sharing login credentials.

A) Assess the importance of Security Policy Guidelines in ensuring compliance among employees. Provide recommendations for enforcing adherence.

Q3B. A multinational company has developed a comprehensive security policy to safeguard its information assets. However, some employees frequently bypass security controls, such as using weak passwords and sharing login credentials.

B) Discuss the role of security awareness training in changing employee behavior and reducing policy violations.

Managing Business Process Outsourcing

Q1. Judd Chemicals is an 80-year contract manufacturer of skincare and haircare products in Chicago, USA. The company is struggling to streamline its operations due to fragmented processes across different departments, leading to inefficiencies and difficulty in aligning projects with overall strategy. Jim McNulty, the COO has decided to implement a comprehensive business process portfolio management system to identify, prioritize, and optimize their key processes.

Discuss the role of Business Process Portfolio Management (BPPM) in reducing risks and as well, maximizing decision-making capabilities & business profits at Judd Chemicals.

Q2. Vandelez is a Multinational Dairy Co-operative headquartered in Canberra, Australia. The company produces millions of tonnes of dairy ingredients and consumer products each year. The Global Supply Planning and Scheduling is its backbone process because it involves planning and transformation of goods to be delivered to the customers. As part of the Supply Planning and Scheduling initiative in Australia, this Co-operative needed to establish and implement new ways of working that will be the starting point for a global standard.

The organization needed to achieve improvements in this process to establish common ways of working through one integrated business planning cycle, common process, one tool (SAP APO), clear roles and responsibilities and improved KPI’s. However, the AS-IS is hard to document due to the complexity of the process, unavailability of a clear end-to-end picture and disconnect between the business units. Mike Leonard, the COO is thinking of inviting a BPM Consulting Firm to produce a complete, accurate and agreed picture of the process that could be used to efficiently improve realizable process improvements, i.e., the AS-IS and TO-BE modelling of the end-to-end process, from demand planning through to production scheduling.

Discuss how Business Process Management (BPM) contributes to operational excellence and profitability in an organization.

Q3A. Carbonara Group is an Insurance Company based in Palermo, Italy. As of 2024, it is the fourth-largest insurance company in Italy and ranks among the world's largest insurance companies by net premiums and assets. Like many other firms, Carbonara is facing financial pressure and need to improve cost efficiency to increase competitiveness and profitability.

This is aggravated by Carbonara’s lack of expertise in non-core functions such as Customer Service, IT & Marketing. In the case of core functions such as Policy Admin, Underwriting, etc., the insurance industry is short on talent, due to people leaving the industry, leading to spiralling costs. The CEO feels that the easiest way to reduce costs is by outsourcing insurance services.

The CEO asked Turi Guiliano, the COO to prepare a briefing document, detailing the (Top 5) Reasons for Outsourcing by Carbonara.

Q3B. After an exhaustive search and due diligence process, the Carbonara Group has identified MajorDomo, the third-largest Insurance BPO firm in India as their BPO Partner. Who are the Stakeholders in this case? Why is Stakeholder Management important in a BPO engagement and what is its impact on business success.

Marketing Research

Q1. Furniture shopping can be a daunting and time-consuming process. Fortunately, Sheila Koshy, the Founder CEO & Creative Director of JustRite Furniture envisioned a groundbreaking Furniture E-Commerce Mobile Application designed to revolutionize the way customers shop for furniture, from browsing to purchase and delivery.

Discuss the role of Mobile Applications in facilitating e-commerce and marketing research at JustRite Furniture.

Q2. Jenny Fernandez, the owner of Jenny’s Toot Sweet, a local bakery in Marredpally, Secunderabad, wants to launch their new (Do-It-Yourself) DIY- Valentine's Day cake flavours. Jenny believes that she can leverage Social Media, to reach local users interested in customized baking or desserts, across the Twin Cities (Secunderabad-Hyderabad), at a lower cost than traditional advertising.

Evaluate the impact of Social Media as a platform for marketing campaigns in terms of cost-effectiveness and reach, at Jenny’s Toot Sweet.

Q3 (A) You-Do-You is a 12-year-old Casual Clothing Brand based in New York – known for its unique cutting-edge Casual-Chic look, which targets the Millennials and Gen Z (18-35 years). After a decade of explosive growth and expansion, sales have started dipping gradually over the past 6 quarters. In this context, the CEO has called the CMO and the Marketing Leaders to a brainstorming session to discuss the strategy to put the company back on track on its growth trajectory.

The Director of Promotions feels that the company needs to refine its Advertising to better reach their core audience. In this context, he feels that they need to invest in Advertising Research. Analyze and discuss the significance of Advertising Research in developing effective marketing strategies. How can they help the company get back on track?

Q3(B) In continuation and with the reference to Question 3(A), answer the below question. The Director of Marketing however, feels that the situation is more complex – She feels that the company needs to better understand their Core-Customers’ Preferences and then create a strategy to meet those needs. In this context, she feels that they need to invest in Marketing Research. Analyze and discuss the significance of Marketing Research in developing effective marketing strategies.

How can they help the company get back on track?

Services Marketing

Q1. Imagine you are the marketing manager of a premium healthcare service provider offering specialized diagnostic services. Your organization wants to improve customer experience by enhancing service processes and integrating marketing communication strategies. Your company has observed that many patients face difficulties in scheduling appointments, understanding the service process, and receiving timely updates about their reports. The management has decided to redesign the service process and introduce digital marketing communication to address these challenges.

As a marketing manager, apply your knowledge of Service Process and Marketing Communication to develop a strategy that will improve customer experience and streamline the service process. Your response should include:

a) How you would redesign the service process to enhance customer convenience.

b) The role of marketing communication in ensuring customer engagement and satisfaction.

Q2. Neha is an entrepreneur who has recently opened a luxury spa and wellness center in a metropolitan city. She wants to ensure that her business stands out in the competitive market. To achieve this, she needs to develop a strong service marketing strategy using the 7Ps of service marketing.

As a marketing consultant, apply the 7P framework to Neha’s spa and wellness center. Provide specific strategies for each component to help her enhance customer experience and brand positioning.

Q3 (A) How has Airbnb developed a strong global brand in the service industry? Discuss the key branding strategies it uses.

Q3 (B) How does Zomato use digital marketing communication strategies to engage customers and enhance service experience?

Lean Six Sigma

Q1. A growing FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) company in India is experiencing delays and inefficiencies in its order fulfillment process. Many distribution managers have raised concerns that the current manual methods for processing orders are causing significant delays and errors. The Operations Director, aware of your Lean Six Sigma training, has appointed you as the project leader to analyze and improve the order fulfillment process. Currently, the company relies mainly on emails and phone calls for order processing and does not have an integrated IT system in place. Create a flowchart using a SIPOC diagram to map out the order fulfillment process, clearly explaining the various steps and decision tasks involved in a typical order processing scenario. Also differentiate verification and validation with examples relevant to process design in order fulfillment, and list techniques commonly used in validation activities for new process design.

Q2. Imagine you work in an organization that operates a chain of quick-service restaurants. Choose a specific process in your organization—such as the order processing and food preparation process—and break it down into smaller activities. Identify and classify these activities into Non-Value Added (NVA), Business Value Added (BVA), and Value Added (VA) categories. Also considering that you are the project leader of a Six Sigma project aimed at improving the order processing and food preparation process. List and describe the responsibilities of team members at various Six Sigma belt levels—Master Black Belt (MBB), Black Belt (BB), Green Belt (GB), Yellow Belt (YB), and White Belt (WB)—as they contribute to this project.

Q3A. Imagine yourself as a Six Sigma project leader for an online food delivery service in India. Your goal is to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction by identifying and addressing potential issues. Develop a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram to outline five potential issues encountered by online food delivery services that accept customer orders via their mobile app.

Q3B. Imagine yourself as a Six Sigma project leader for an online food delivery service in India. Your goal is to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction by identifying and addressing potential issues. Explain the sequential stages of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), providing illustrative examples for each step in the context of an online food delivery service.

New Product Development and Managing Innovation

Q1. GlobalTech Motors is a multinational automotive company renowned for its high- performance electric vehicles (EVs). The company is preparing to launch a revolutionary self-driving technology designed to integrate seamlessly into its existing EV lineup. As the project manager, you are tasked with creating a comprehensive strategy to successfully position the new technology in the competitive automotive market. Using the Ansoff Matrix and the BCG Matrix, outline how you would develop a strategic plan to introduce and position GlobalTech's self-driving technology.

Q2. Discuss the significance of product life cycles in the context of new product development. Consider an industry that enables long distance communication (eg. Post/mail, Email, Telephone, Mobile phone, wifi calling etc.) and describe each stage with a specific product that has experienced or is currently experiencing that stage.

Q3A. Arjun works as a product manager for a leading global automobile company (e.g., Volkswagen, Ford, etc.). The company is looking to develop a new car aimed at individuals aged 25-35 years. Arjun is in charge of overseeing the entire product development process. Outline the approach he should take through the various stages of the generic product design and development process.

Q3B. Arjun has done good job assembling a team. He now has to generate product ideas for the new car model. What are different idea generation strategies that he can use? List the strategies and provide a short description.

World Class Operations

Q1. Global Manufacturing firms in such diverse sectors such as Appliances (Whirlpool, Godrej), Automotive (Hyundai, Skoda), Electronics (Siemens, Sony), etc., are highly reputed for their unflinching commitment to Quality. In this context, explain the Key Factors that are part of Quality.

Q2. You are the GM – Maintenance at Suryan Automotive a Tier2 Automotive Component Manufacturer in Chennai. In the face of increasingly stringent requirements by your Clients - Automotive Majors in India, you have launched a TPM Program.

Explain the concept of 5S and why it is the foundation of TPM? What are some of the Benefits you expect from this TPM initiative?

Q3A. Shetty Engineering is a 30-year-old manufacturer of Pumps and Compressors based in Hyderabad. Over the past 3 quarters, the firm has seen flattening sales, due to increased competition. As such, the CEO, is keen to differentiate the company from the competition and drive sales. In this regard, he feels that the best option would be to try for a Quality Certification. He has called a meeting with the Leadership Team to discuss which Quality Certification the company should try to obtain.

At the Leadership meeting, the VP of Production recommended that the company obtain a National Quality Certification such as the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award.

What are National Quality Certifications such as RGNQA? What are the Pros & Cons of the company going in for the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award?

Q3B. At the Leadership meeting, the VP of Operations recommended that the company try for the Global Quality Certifications such as the Deming Quality Award.

What are Global Quality Certifications such as Deming? What are the Pros & Cons of the company going in for the Deming Quality Award?

Business Communication

Q1. Imagine you are a marketing manager for a new Indian fitness app called "FitIndia." You aim to create a persuasive message to motivate young adults to adopt a healthier lifestyle. How would you craft your message to resonate with this target audience?

Q2A. A multinational company in India with a diverse workforce recognizes the importance of inclusivity and respect in its business communication. The company aims to create a cohesive work environment where employees from all backgrounds feel valued and understood.To achieve this, the management wants to implement a strategy for using bias-free language that considers the regional and linguistic diversity of its employees.

Propose a comprehensive strategy for using bias-free language in this multicultural business environment to promote inclusivity and respect.

Q2B. The marketing team at a company is struggling to keep up with the changing landscape of social media. They are using outdated methods and are not effectively engaging with stakeholders. The team is also not using social media to its full potential to inform, persuade, or build relationships. The CEO has called a meeting to discuss how the team can better adapt to the changing landscape of social media. Evaluate the impact of social networks on business communication and how they have transformed interactions with stakeholders?

Financial Accounting

Q1. Financial Analysis of AlphaEx Ltd.

You are given the following partial financial information for AlphaEx Ltd. for the year ended March 31, 2024:

Required:

1. Compute the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Gross Profit for the year ended March 31, 2024.

2. Prepare the Income Statement (from Net Sales down to Net Income) for the year ended March 31, 2024. Clearly show each line item, including your calculations for Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, Operating Income, and Net Income after tax.

3. Calculate the ending Retained Earnings on March 31, 2024, after the company closes its Net Income into Retained Earnings. Show your computation step by step.

4. Using the year-end balances, compute and interpret two financial ratios—for example, the Current Ratio and the Debt-to-Equity Ratio. In a brief paragraph, discuss what these ratios indicate about AlphaEx Ltd.’s liquidity and long-term solvency.

1. Income Statement (Partially Reported)

Item	Amount (₹)
Net Sales	9,00,000
Beginning Inventory (April 1, 2023)	60,000
Net Purchases	3,20,000
Ending Inventory (March 31, 2024)	50,000
Operating Expenses (excluding depreciation)	1,40,000
Depreciation Expense	30,000
Interest Expense	20,000
Income Tax Rate	25%

2. Balance Sheet (Selected Items as at March 31, 2024)

Item	Amount (₹)
Cash & Cash Equivalents	1,00,000
Accounts Receivable	80,000
Inventory	50,000
Property, Plant & Equipment (net)	4,00,000
Accounts Payable	40,000
Long-Term Debt	2,00,000
Common Stock	1,50,000
Retained Earnings (at the beginning)	80,000

Q2A. A mid-sized manufacturing company has suffered significant losses over the past two years, casting doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern. Critically examine how the concept of going concern influences the accounting process in such a situation. In your analysis, discuss the ethical and professional judgments an accountant must make when deciding whether the business should continue applying going concern assumptions in its financial statements.

Q2B. Financial accounting is based on fundamental principles and assumptions that guide the preparation of financial statements. However, with the rapid advancement of technology and the increasing complexity of modern business transactions, some argue that traditional accounting frameworks may no longer be sufficient. Critically evaluate the relevance of traditional financial accounting principles (such as the historical cost principle, accrual basis, and consistency) in today’s business environment. In your response, analyze potential modifications or alternative approaches that could enhance financial reporting accuracy and decision-making for stakeholders.

Marketing Management

Q1. A premium home appliance brand, CoolCasa, has been facing stagnating sales despite offering high-quality, durable, and technologically advanced products. Market research indicates that younger consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, prefer smart, connected appliances but also focus on affordability, brand experience, and sustainability. The company’s traditional marketing approach, which emphasizes product durability and engineering excellence, seems less appealing to this segment.

Question:

Based on consumer behavior principles, evaluate what key factors should CoolCasa consider to realign its marketing strategy and better appeal to younger buyers?

Q2A. FreshBite Foods, a mid-sized packaged snacks brand in India, has noticed a decline in sales of its traditional fried chips among urban consumers. Market research suggests that health-conscious millennials and Gen Z consumers prefer baked, organic, or low-fat alternatives. FreshBite’s management is considering launching a new line of healthy snacks but is unsure how to understand and influence consumer buying behavior effectively.

Question:

Based on the given scenario, analyze the key factors influencing consumer buying behavior that FreshBite Foods should consider before launching its new healthy snack line.

Q2B. GlowCare, a new skincare startup in India, has launched a premium herbal face cream targeting young professionals. Despite high-quality ingredients and dermatologist endorsements, the product is struggling to gain traction in the market. Competitors with well-established brands dominate consumer trust, and many potential customers perceive GlowCare’s product as expensive. The management is now exploring ways to enhance customer value and improve brand positioning.

Question: Based on the given scenario, apply marketing principles to show how GlowCare can build customer value through its product, service, and brand strategies to gain a competitive edge.

Micro Economics & Macro Economics

Q1. Rohan owns a local organic farming business that supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to supermarkets and online grocery platforms. Recently, he has seen an increase in demand due to rising consumer preference for organic produce. However, he is struggling to increase supply due to challenges such as unpredictable weather conditions, high labor costs, rising transportation expenses, and government farming regulations. As an agricultural consultant, analyze the concept of supply and its determining factors to help Rohan expand his business.

Q2A. Aarav owns a chain of fast-food restaurants that specializes in gourmet burgers. Recently, he noticed that when he increased the price of his signature burger by 10%, sales dropped significantly. However, when he increased the price of soft drinks by 15%, there was little to no impact on sales. Aarav is now trying to understand how price changes affect demand for different products in his restaurant and how he can use this information to make better pricing decisions. As a business consultant, analyze the concept of price elasticity of demand and recommend pricing strategies that Aarav can use to maximize revenue without losing customers.

Q2B. Neha, a young professional, recently received a promotion with a significant salary hike. Excited about her increased income, she decides to upgrade her lifestyle by purchasing premium organic food products, high-end fashion brands, and a gym membership. However, she also notices that some of her colleagues, despite their higher incomes, continue buying budget-friendly brands and prefer saving rather than increasing their spending. As an economist, analyze the impact of the income effect on Neha’s consumption choices. In your response explain the concept of the income effect and how changes in income influence consumer demand for normal goods, inferior goods, and luxury goods.

Organizational Behavior

Q1. Rahul is a young entrepreneur who recently started a tech startup for educational apps. He is imaginative and often comes up with innovative ideas, but his plans lack detail and structure. His team appreciates his enthusiasm and collaborative approach, but he struggles to give critical feedback. During a product launch, Rahul became anxious about meeting expectations, which affected his decision-making under pressure. Despite these challenges, his curiosity and willingness to learn keep him motivated. He realizes he needs to improve his leadership skills to grow his startup.

Question: Using the Big Five Model of Personality, evaluate Rahul’s personality traits and their impact on his effectiveness as a leader. Suggest strategies to enhance his leadership style while leveraging his strengths. How can he engage his team more effectively?

Q2A. Nisha is a talented graphic designer working at a marketing agency. She recently discovered that her colleague, who has similar qualifications and experience, receives a higher salary despite having a comparable workload. This realization has left Nisha feeling demotivated and less enthusiastic about her projects. She starts putting in less effort and avoids taking on additional responsibilities, as she feels her contributions are not being valued equally.

Question: Using Equity Theory of Motivation, analyze Nisha’s reaction to the pay disparity. How can her manager address this situation to restore her motivation and productivity?

Q2B. Amit and Priya, two senior project managers in a consulting firm, frequently disagree on project execution strategies. Amit prefers a structured, process-driven approach, while Priya values flexibility and adaptability. Their ongoing conflicts are delaying project timelines and creating tension within the team. The manager notices this issue and wants to intervene.

Question: Analyze the nature of the conflict between Amit and Priya using Conflict Management Techniques. Which technique would be most effective in resolving their conflict, and why? Justify your answer with logical reasoning.

Quantitative Methods – I

Q1. From a large batch of batteries, a sample of size 50 is drawn. The average lifespan of the batteries is 1200 hours with a standard deviation of 200 hours.

1. Find the probability that the mean lifespan of the sample is less than 1150 hours.

2. Calculate the 95% confidence interval for the sample mean lifespan.

3. Discuss the effect of increasing the sample size to 100 on the standard error and the probability calculation.

Q2A. A deck of cards contains 10 red and 6 black cards. If two cards are randomly drawn without replacement, what is the probability that both cards drawn are black?

What is the probability that at least one of the two cards drawn is red?

Q2B. A milling machine is set to produce rods that have an average length of 15.00 cm. The machine is known to have a standard deviation () of 0.3 cm. The customer specifies the rod length to be within 14.80 cm and 15.20 cm. What is the acceptance percentage given the setting and age of the machine (age determines the standard deviation)?

Business Analytics

Q1 Given a dataset with missing values, apply appropriate data treatment techniques to handle the missing data. Justify your choice of method based on the nature of the dataset. Additionally, analyze a real-world scenario where missing data impacts decision-making, and implement suitable imputation methods to improve data quality

Student_ID	Name	Age	Gender	Math_Score	English_Score	Attendance (%)
101	Aarav	20	F	85	88	95
102	Bhavya	21	M	78		88
103	Charan	22	M		82	92
104	Deepak		M	92	91
105	Esha	20	F	88	85	97
106	Farhan	21		76	79	85
107	Gauri		F	80	86	90
108	Harshita	22	F		90	93
109	Ishan	23	M	90		89
110	Jyoti	20	F	84	87

Q2 (A) A pharmaceutical company is testing a new drug for reducing blood pressure. They conduct a clinical trial with two groups: one receiving the drug and the other receiving a placebo. The blood pressure levels are recorded before and after the trial.

1. Analyse the components of a two-sample hypothesis test and determine why it is appropriate or not for this study.

2. Given that the obtained p-value is 0.08, break down the decision-making process for rejecting or failing to reject the null hypothesis at a 5% significance level.

3. Examine the potential risks associated with Type I and Type II errors in this study and discuss how they could affect the interpretation of results.

4. The company wants to check whether the drug's effectiveness varies across different age groups (e.g., 30-40, 41-50, 51-60). Analyse whether the Chi-square test of independence is an appropriate test in this scenario.

5. Differentiate between the Chi-square Goodness of Fit test and the Chi-square test of independence, and analyse how each applies to different types of pharmaceutical studies.

Q2 (B) A company wants to predict sales based on advertising expenses using a simple linear regression model. The dataset for 5 months is given below:

Month	Advertising Expense (X in Rs 1000s)	Actual Sales (Y in Rs 1000s)	Predicted Sales (in Rs 1000s)
1	2	4	3.8
2	3	5	5.2
3	5	7	6.9
4	7	10	9.5
5	9	12	11.7

1. Formulate the simple linear regression equation based on the given data.

2. Determine the regression coefficients (: Intercept, : Slope) and interpret their impact on sales.

3. Derive insights from the regression equation, understanding the baseline performance and the impact of advertising expenses on sales.

4. Suggest recommendations based on findings, highlighting the effectiveness of advertising expenses.

Instructions:

- Use Excel to compute the regression equation, coefficients, and R² value.

- Paste the Excel output with formulas to demonstrate calculations.

- Insights should be based on data from Excel analysis

Cost & Management Accounting

Q1 ABC Manufacturing Ltd. produces a single product and operates a factory where both direct labor costs and overhead costs are incurred. The company provides the following data for February:

- Labour Costing Data: Total direct wages paid: Rs. 50,000Number of direct labor hours worked: 10,000 hoursOvertime premium included in wages:

$2,000Employer’s contribution to benefits (social security, insurance, etc.): 10% of direct wages

- Overhead Costing Data: Total factory overhead costs: $40,000Overheads are absorbed based on direct labor hours

Required:

1. Calculate the total direct labor cost, considering the employer’s contribution.

2. Compute the direct labor cost per hour.

3. Determine the overhead absorption rate per labor hour.

4. If a job requires 50 labor hours, calculate the total labor and overhead cost assigned to the job.

Q2 (A) Elaborate on the implementation of a Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory system impact the material cost control process in a manufacturing company and explain its importance.

Q2 (B) Analyze how the method of valuing work-in-progress (prime cost vs. works cost) influences the final cost of goods sold and the financial reporting of a manufacturing company.

Human Resource Management

Q1 you are an HR manager in a multinational corporation facing challenges in cross-cultural teamwork. Employees struggle with communication barriers and adapting to diverse work environments. To address this, your company has implemented a Global Competence Development Program.

Evaluate the effectiveness of such programs in enhancing cultural awareness and adaptability among employees.

Q2 (A) A growing tech company is looking to expand its workforce by hiring skilled software developers and engineers. The company wants to use public advertisements and campus recruitment to attract top talent. As an HR manager, propose a comprehensive recruitment strategy using these methods.

What are the potential benefits and challenges of this approach?

Q2 (B) A multinational corporation is expanding its operations and requires a highly experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive its growth strategy. Given the critical nature of this position, the company is considering hiring an executive search firm to identify and recruit the best candidate.

Analyze the role of executive search firms in recruiting top-level executives. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using such firms?

Legal Aspect of Business

Q1 A startup named "SunDisk Pvt. Ltd." specialises in software development. Initially, its Memorandum of Association (MOA) focused solely on developing enterprise software solutions. However, when market patterns changed, the business recognized profitable prospects in cloud computing services and artificial intelligence (AI) consulting. The board of directors decided to enter these segments without modifying the MOA. Soon after, a major investor raised concerns that these activities were ultra vires and could lead to legal consequences. The company now faces challenges related to business expansion, legal compliance, and shareholder confidence.

Based on the given scenario, highlight the challenges before SunDisk Pvt. Ltd. if the MOA continues to remain unamended. Please explain the challenge by emphasizing the doctrine of ultra vires under the Companies Act, 2013, and suggest potential solutions to avoid the company violating the provisions of Companies Act, 2013.

Q2 (A) Innovative Constructions Pvt. Ltd. signs a contract with the government to build a highway in two years. The contract includes terms about work deadlines and quality. However, the company faces three major problems:

1. Delay in Work: Due to supply chain problems, only 90% of the work is done on time. The government may take legal action for not completing the project.

2. Change in Contract: The company asks for extra time, and the government agrees, but some contract terms need to be changed.

3. Work Becomes Impossible: A new law bans an important material needed for the project. The company claims that the contract should end because completing the work is now impossible.

Question: Under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, explain how the company should handle these problems legally. Consider rules about performance (finishing the work), changing terms of the contracts by mutual agreement, and what happens when the work becomes impossible to perform. Mention relevant legal sections where applicable.

Q2 (B) Harish, a real estate developer, signs a contract with Mehta & Sons to build a luxury apartment complex in two years. The contract states that if the project is delayed, Mehta & Sons must pay a penalty (liquidated damages). However, due to poor management, they fail to complete the project on time. Harish suffers financial loss and damage to his reputation.

Question:

Under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, what legal remedies does Harish have for this contract breach? What steps can he take to prevent further delays? Mention relevant legal sections.

Operations Management

Q1 Assume you are heading operations in a cosmetic manufacturing and marketing company. You are launching a new product range. It’s very critical for the brand image of the organisation. Create a detailed plan for sourcing materials and manufacturers for a new fashion product. What factors should be considered to ensure a reliable supply chain?

Q2 (A) Pick any situation of your choice and analyze the role of aggregate operations planning in aligning an organization's capacity with forecasted demand, and discuss the potential consequences of failing to do so?

Q2 (B) Pick any business situation of your choice and establish how can artificial intelligence and machine learning be integrated into operations management to enhance decision making and efficiency?

Strategic Management

Q1 Evaluate the potential risks and benefits of Tata Motors pursuing a differentiation strategy in the electric vehicle market?

Q2 (A) XYZ Retail, a well-established chain of grocery stores in India, is facing increased competition from both traditional brick-and-mortar supermarkets and online grocery platforms. The entry of new online grocery players, aggressive price wars among existing retailers, and growing bargaining power of customers have put pressure on XYZ Retail’s profitability.

Given Porter’s Approach to Industry Analysis, analyze any one of the six competitive forces which could be impacting XYZ Retail’s business. Also discuss what strategies can XYZ Retail adopt to mitigate these competitive pressures?

Q2 (B) A multinational conglomerate, TechNova Group, operates in various industries, including consumer electronics, renewable energy, and healthcare technology. Recently, the company’s corporate headquarters has identified a strategic opportunity to acquire MedTech Solutions, a firm specializing in AI-driven diagnostic tools. The leadership at TechNova believes that this acquisition could create synergies across its healthcare technology and consumer electronics divisions. However, some executives express concerns that TechNova lacks deep expertise in medical devices and regulatory compliance, which could lead to inefficiencies in managing MedTech

Solutions.

As a corporate strategist at TechNova, apply the concept of corporate parenting to assess whether this acquisition aligns with TechNova’s corporate strategy. Briefly discuss what factors should TechNova evaluate to determine if this move will create value or destroy value for the company?

Design Thinking

Q1. As a company using design thinking for the first time, ABC Ltd is worried about failure. As a consultant of Design thinking can you guide them about how does the iterative nature of design thinking contribute to innovation, and why is failure considered an integral part of this process?

Q2. As a Design thinking trainer, you have told the students to form groups made of people from across disciplines. Discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in design thinking and how it enhances problem-solving capabilities.

Q3A. ABC Tech, a leading consumer electronics company, was facing a decline in customer satisfaction with their smart home devices. Customers reported difficulties in setting up the devices, an unintuitive user interface, and lack of integration with other smart home products. The company's leadership decided to implement Design Thinking to address these issues.

Question: How did the Design Thinking approach help ABC Tech address customer dissatisfaction? Explain with reference to the five stages of Design Thinking.

Q3B. ABC Tech, a leading consumer electronics company, was facing a decline in customer satisfaction with their smart home devices. Customers reported difficulties in setting up the devices, an unintuitive user interface, and lack of integration with other smart home products. The company's leadership decided to implement Design Thinking to address these issues.

Question: If you were a part of the ABC Tech design team, what additional innovative solutions would you propose to enhance the user experience further? Justify your suggestions.

Environment and Disaster Management

Q1. India’s Earthquake Monitoring System, part of Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India observes unusual seismic readings in one of its observation stations in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which spells of an impending likelihood of an Earthquake in that region. You are in charge of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force). Suggest various modern disaster management steps to help the entire region better prepare for the onslaught of the earthquake.

Q2. India’s political capital New Delhi has faced a Air Pollution Index of “severe” category. As an external consultant to Delhi Government, suggest 5 innovative solutions to solve the “Air pollution” issue. Please make sure that the solutions proposed by you must be concrete in nature & must have the capacity of creating long-term benefits to the residents & the visitors of the city.

Q3A. You have decided to convert your Housing society into a better place through sustainable use of resources & green initiatives. Suggest 2 innovative green initiatives to make your Housing society premise a “green hub”.

Q3B. You have decided to convert your Housing society into a better place through sustainable use of resources & green initiatives.

Suggest 2 innovative ideas which can help in better utilization of resources such as Water & Waste to make your Housing Society premise a “responsible hub”.

Essentials of Management

Q1. GreenHarvest, a small organic food startup, planned to expand from selling at local farmers' markets to launching an online store. However, the initial transition was chaotic—orders were delayed, customer inquiries were mismanaged, and sourcing fresh produce became inconsistent. GreenHarvest is realizing the need for better organization between its operations, procurement, logistics, marketing, and customer service as front end functions overall. Through this they aim to address the coordination issues and also improve profitability and efficiency.

Analyze the current challenges faced by GreenHarvest and estabilish how does the process of coordination facilitate the smooth transition from existing model to online moderl and also achive organizational goals?

Q2. XYZ Appliances, a leading home appliance manufacturer, recently launched a new range of energy-efficient washing machines. However, the company is struggling with high production costs, frequent stock shortages, and customer dissatisfaction due to delayed deliveries. Unplanned operations between procurement, production, and distribution has led to inefficiencies, affecting both profitability and brand reputation. The management now realizes that proper planning is essential to address these challenges.

Apply the importance of planning to the situation faced by XYZ Appliances. Discuss how planning can help the company reduce costs, minimize delays, and improve customer responsiveness. Provide at least three key areas where planning can be applied to improve operations.

Q3. FreshBites Ltd., a leading FMCG company, recently launched a new range of healthy snacks to expand its market share. The top management was keen to introduce the product quickly to stay ahead of competitors. Without conducting in-depth market research, they instructed the operations team to proceed with production and distribution within three months.

Soon after the launch, the company faced several challenges. Retailers reported frequent stock shortages, and customers complained about inconsistent product quality. Additionally, the pricing strategy did not align with customer expectations, leading to slow sales. Despite early warning signs, management did not reconsider its approach until significant losses had occurred.

Later, during an internal review, concerns were raised about how the decision was made and whether the right type of decision-making approach had been applied. Some team members felt that important steps in the decision-making process were overlooked.

Q3A. What type of decision was applied in this case? Do you think it was the correct approach? Justify your answer by identifying a more appropriate decision type?

Q3B. In the case of FreshBites Ltd. given in Part A of Q3, Evaluate the decision-making process followed by FreshBites Ltd. What key steps may have been missed, and how could a better approach have improved the outcome?

Human Resource Management

Q1. Himayala Pvt. Ltd., a mid-sized IT firm, was struggling with high employee turnover and declining productivity. To address this, the company revamped its training and development initiatives, introducing personalized learning modules, mentorship programs, and skill enhancement workshops. Employees were encouraged to participate in continuous learning, and leadership programs were introduced for high- potential individuals. Within a year, the company witnessed a 30% increase in employee efficiency, a 20% improvement in job satisfaction scores, and a 15% reduction in attrition rates. Analyze the impact of training and development practices on employee performance and organizational success at Himalaya.

Q2. Zepto Ltd., a well-established retail company, found itself at a crossroads as consumer preferences shifted rapidly towards e-commerce. The leadership recognized that a traditional brick-and-mortar approach was no longer sustainable. To navigate this shift, the HRM team took proactive steps by implementing a digital transformation strategy. Employees were reskilled in e-commerce operations, remote work policies were introduced, and leadership training was conducted to prepare managers for a digitally driven business model. Additionally, HRM played a crucial role in fostering open communication to address employee concerns and resistance to change. Within a year, the company successfully integrated an online sales platform, leading to a 40% increase in digital revenue while maintaining a motivated workforce. Considering Zepto Ltd.'s transformation, evaluate the role of HRM in driving organizational change.

Q3A. Serene Wellness, a luxury spa and wellness retreat, prides itself on offering exceptional guest experiences. The company believes that a strong organizational culture and motivated employees are the foundation of its success. To enhance workplace satisfaction, the HRM team introduced initiatives that focused on employee well-being, continuous learning, and career growth. They implemented mindfulness sessions, wellness workshops, and professional training programs to align employees’ personal and professional development with the company’s mission. A mentorship system was also introduced, allowing senior employees to guide newcomers, fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration. Over time, these efforts created a positive and supportive work environment where employees felt valued and committed to the company’s long-term vision.

Based on Serene Wellness' approach, analyze how HRM can shape a strong organizational culture that encourages employees to remain committed.

Q3B. What additional HRM strategies could be introduced to further strengthen employee engagement and loyalty?

Macro Economics

Q1. The research team of the Finance secretariat is debating economic policies to address rising inflation and unemployment. A senior economist argues for policies based on Classical Macroeconomic Theory, emphasizing market self-regulation, flexible wages, and full employment in the long run. However, some policymakers are skeptical, citing real-world frictions like sticky wages and government intervention.

To support the discussion, the Ministry requests a note on the assumptions of Classical Macroeconomic Theory, helping decision-makers assess its relevance in shaping economic policies.

Q2. A country is experiencing rising inflation, slowing consumer demand, and declining investments. You as a member of the research team, have to write a note discussing the impact of inflation on economic growth and how macroeconomic policies can be used to control inflation?

Q3A. In a rapidly globalizing economy, countries face challenges like automation, outsourcing, and shifting labor demands. While globalization boosts innovation and market expansion, it also disrupts local job markets and widens skill gaps. Assess the challenges of achieving full employment in a globalized economy?

Q3B. During an economic downturn, a country’s GDP falls significantly, and many businesses close, leading to job losses. As the economy recovers, production rises, and employment improves. Based on the above scenario, explain the relationship between GDP and the unemployment rate within the context of business cycles.

Operations Research

Q1. A company supplies goods from three factories (A, B, C) to four warehouses (D1, D2, D3, D4). The supply capacities, demand requirements, and transportation costs (in Rs. per unit) are given below:

Factory	D1	D2	D3	D4	Supply
A	5	3	7	6	30
B	4	6	5	8	50
C	7	4	6	5	20
Demand	20	35	25	20	100

Briefly explain the transportation problem and the significance of finding an Initial Basic Feasible Solution (IBFS). Calculate the IBFS using: Northwest Corner Method, Least Cost Method and Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM). Lastly compare the total transportation costs obtained from all three methods and identify the most efficient one.

Q2. FreshBake Co. supplies bread from three bakeries (B1, B2, B3) to four retail stores (S1, S2, S3, S4). The daily supply capacities (in trays), demand requirements (in trays), and transportation costs (in Rs. per tray) are given below:

Bakery	S1	S2	S3	S4	Supply
B1	5	4	7	6	35
B2	3	6	5	4	50
B3	7	4	3	5	15
Demand	20	25	30	25	100

Explain the transportation problem and justify why Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM) is preferred for finding an Initial Basic Feasible Solution (IBFS). Find the IBFS using Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM). Use the Stepping Stone Method to derive the optimal solution from the VAM-based IBFS. Lastly compare the total costs of the IBFS and the optimal solution.

Q3A. TechMach Industries is a leading manufacturing company specializing in heavy-duty industrial machinery. The company operates multiple production lines, each relying on critical equipment for smooth operations. However, equipment failures and deterioration over time have led to production downtime, increased maintenan costs, and efficiency losses.

To optimize costs and operational performance, the company must decide when to replace its equipment. TechMach faces two distinct types of equipment replacement challenges:

Part A: Equipment That Fails Completely – Some machines experience sudden and unpredictable failures, leading to urgent replacements.

Part B: Equipment That Deteriorates Over Time – Other machines gradually lose efficiency, increasing repair costs and downtime until they become uneconomical to maintain.

Discuss the replacement strategies for equipment that fails completely. Using a case- based approach, analyze how TechMach should decide between individual replacement (replacing each unit as it fails) and group replacement (replacing multiple units at scheduled intervals) to minimize costs and disruptions.

Q3B. Discuss the replacement strategies for equipment that deteriorates over time. Using a case-based approach, analyze how TechMach should decide between repairing aging machines versus replacing them with new equipment, considering factors like increasing maintenance costs, efficiency loss, and depreciation.

Organisational Behaviour

Q1. A mid-sized company recently introduced a new project requiring close collaboration between employees from different departments. However, early progress has been slow, with communication gaps and misunderstandings causing delays. Leadership notices that while the team members are talented individually, they struggle to coordinate their efforts effectively, leading to missed opportunities and reduced efficiency. Discuss the role of team-building and teamwork in enhancing organizational productivity.

Q2. A company is experiencing high employee turnover and declining productivity. Employees report feeling disconnected from the organization's values and unclear about expectations. Management realizes that while the company has policies in place, there is a lack of a shared culture to guide behavior, foster motivation, and align employees with organizational goals. Explain the role of organisational culture in shaping employee behaviour and productivity.

Q3 (A) An organization is struggling to manage its diverse workforce effectively. Employees from different backgrounds have varying expectations, and traditional leadership approaches are failing to address their unique needs. Low morale and poor collaboration are impacting overall productivity. Management is considering different leadership frameworks to improve employee motivation and foster positive organizational behavior.

Evaluate the effectiveness of various leadership frameworks in managing a diverse workforce. Which approaches are most suitable for enhancing motivation, collaboration, and organizational behavior, and why?

Q3 (B) A company has been experiencing declining employee motivation and engagement, leading to lower productivity and increased turnover. Despite offering competitive salaries and benefits, employees feel disconnected from leadership, lack recognition for their contributions, and struggle with unclear career growth opportunities. The leadership team realizes that fostering a more engaging work environment requires a structured approach within a leadership framework to enhance motivation and commitment. Create a strategy within the leadership framework to enhance employee motivation and engagement.

Principles of Marketing

Q1. You are the brand manager of a premium organic juice brand. Create a “Levels of Competition” model as given by Kotler for this product and specify what the competition for the product would be at each level. How effectively can the company communicate about the organic juice to its consumers based on its Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

Q2. FreshFit, a startup in the health and wellness FMCG segment, has launched a range of organic, plant-based nutrition products, including protein bars, detox juices, and vitamin-infused water. The brand aims to establish a strong presence in urban metro cities and eventually expand nationwide.

As the Marketing Manager at FreshFit, you need to decide on the best pricing strategies for different product lines. Below are the key challenges the company is facing:

1. Premium Organic Protein Bars: Competitors include international brands like Kind Bars and RXBAR. FreshFit wants to position its product as a high-quality alternative.

2. Detox Juices: A new entrant in the competitive health beverage market, FreshFit needs to capture a significant market share quickly.

3. Vitamin-Infused Water: The company wants to encourage repeat purchases and increase sales volume.

4. New Fitness Subscription Box: FreshFit is launching a monthly wellness kit that includes protein bars, supplements, and personalized diet plans.

5. Regional Expansion: The brand is currently in metro cities but wants to expand to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with lower purchasing power.

Based on the challenges above, suggest which of the following pricing strategies would be most effective for each product category. Justify your choice.

- Premium Pricing

- Penetration Pricing

- Economy Pricing

- Psychological Pricing

- Captive Product Pricing

- Optional Pricing

- Bundle Pricing

- Promotional Pricing

- Geographical Pricing

Hint: Consider factors like competition, consumer perception, and market expansion while selecting the appropriate strategy.

Q3A. TechNova, a cutting-edge technology solutions company, is expanding its presence across major Indian cities, targeting enterprise clients, mid-sized businesses, and high-net-worth individuals who seek premium IT services, cybersecurity solutions, and AI-driven business automation. The company aims to differentiate itself through its innovative approach, high-end technology, and personalized consulting services in a highly competitive tech industry.

To establish a strong market presence and long-term success, the founders seek expert guidance on strategic market positioning and marketing mix decisions. Develop a Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP) strategy for TechNova to create a distinctive and appealing market presence.

Q3B. TechNova, a cutting-edge technology solutions company, is expanding its presence across major Indian cities, targeting enterprise clients, mid-sized businesses, and high-net-worth individuals who seek premium IT services, cybersecurity solutions, and AI-driven business automation. The company aims to differentiate itself through its innovative approach, high-end technology, and personalized consulting services in a highly competitive tech industry. To establish a strong market presence and long-term success, the founders seek expert guidance on strategic market positioning and marketing mix decisions. Recommend a well-defined 4Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) strategy to effectively serve its target audience and gain a competitive edge).

Soft Skills for Managers

Question 1:

If you are managing a team that has recently undergone restructuring process in the organization and some of your team members are uncertain and concerned about how these changes will affect them, while others are eager for the new challenges.

How would you, as a manager, regulate the situation to build trust within your team during this transition? What steps would you take to keep the team aligned?
What would you do to adapt your leadership style so that each team member feels supported, and motivated in this scenario?

Question 2:

You are managing a team for a few years, but recently, a disagreement between two team leads has escalated. They’re both capable, but their differing views on how to approach a critical project has created tension.

How would you approach this situation and what steps would you take to resolve the conflict between these two teams leads?
How would your emotional intelligence help you navigate this situation to bring about a resolution?

Question 3:

You’ve just welcomed a new member to your team. While they have all the technical skills, they’re not connecting with the team dynamics.

A. If you had to step in as a manager, how would you help the new team member adapt to your team culture and work more effectively with everyone?

B. As a manager how would you approach your team to ensure they embrace the new member and create a more supportive environment for them?

Business Communication

Q1 “SpiceIt,” a popular Indian spice brand, faces a sudden crisis: a key ingredient is suspected of contamination. Sales plummet, and social media is ablaze with negative comments. “SpiceIt's” objective is to regain consumer trust and maintain market share. How can they develop a strategic PR plan to address the crisis, aligned with this objective?

Q2 (A) MediCorp Pharmaceuticals is launching a new diabetes drug. Analyze how the choice of communication channels can affect the efficiency of information dissemination within MediCorp for training their sales staff for the product’s features, benefits and usage?

Q2(B)A global team struggles with project delays due to miscommunication. Using PAIBOC, propose a communication strategy to improve understanding and collaboration. How would you address concerns about language barriers and differing work styles?

Essentials of IT

Q1. Use this dataset to answer the questions that follow:

h t t p s : / / d o c s . g o o g l e . c o m / s p r e a d s h e e t s / d / 1 L o - G7nkTf0H7FWlxSEuWu5G9AodiicNh/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=11645716942440

8822386&rtpof=true&sd=true

1. With the help of a graph, present the approximate cost for two people according to the type of restaurant.

2. Create a graph to present the number of people who book tables online.

3. Create a graph to present the count of online orders who book online orders.

4. What is the number of restaurants that have greater than 4.0?

Q2A. Evaluate the impact of implementing a centralized Database Management System (DBMS) at a University to address data inconsistencies between the Academic Records System (ARS) and the Housing Records System (HRS)?

Q2B.Use the MS Excel tool to answer the questions given below for the following dataset:

h t t p s : / / d o c s . g o o g l e . c o m / s p r e a d s h e e t s / d / 1 X D B b U - Pghu53m88nb7jEeJLPj5hHMjLu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116457169424408822386&rtpof=true&sd=true

Use conditional formatting to

1. Highlight candidate ID less than 3,00,000

2. Highlight those cells where the area is south-east

3. Mark candidates with Gender 'F'

4. Use data bars to indicate mature candidates over 40 years using condition

5. Highlight the cells with the top 5 % result

Financial Accounting

Q1. XYZ Ltd. started its business on 1st March 2025 with the following transactions.

Pass the necessary journal entries and post them into the ledger accounts.

1. Business started with cash Rs.5,00,000 and bank balance Rs.3,00,000.

2. Purchased goods worth Rs.2,00,000 on credit from ABC Traders.

3. Sold goods worth Rs.1,50,000 for cash (Cost of goods sold: Rs.1,00,000).

4. Paid Rs.50,000 to ABC Traders in full settlement of their dues.

5. Purchased office furniture for Rs.80,000, paying 50% in cash and the rest on credit.

Q2A. XYZ Ltd., planning to expand its operations globally. The company has been using Indian GAAP for financial reporting, but it faces difficulties in attracting foreign investors and securing international loans due to differences in accounting standards. Potential global investors are hesitant because they struggle to compare XYZ Ltd.'s financial statements with those of international competitors who follow IFRS.

To enhance transparency and gain global credibility, XYZ Ltd. decides to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). However, the transition comes with challenges such as retraining financial staff, adjusting accounting systems, and re-evaluating financial statements based on fair value principles.

Q2B. Bright Industries, a leading automobile parts manufacturer, recently invested significantly in non-current assets, including state-of-the-art machinery, a new production facility, and advanced software systems. The management expects this investment to improve efficiency and profitability in the long run. However, a large portion of the funding was secured through long-term debt.

As a financial consultant, analyze how these non-current assets could impact the long-term financial health of Bright Industries, considering both the potential benefits and risks involved.

Micro Economics

Q1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chains faced disruptions, leading to a shortage of gaming consoles, including the PlayStation 5 (PS5). Despite supply constraints, demand for the PS5 surged due to increased consumer interest in home entertainment. However, varying consumer preferences, price sensitivity, and economic uncertainty influenced purchasing decisions differently across markets. Given this context, analyze how different factors such as consumer preferences, price sensitivity, income levels, availability of substitutes, external economic conditions and other factors affected the demand for the PlayStation 5 during the pandemic.

Q2A. Mr. Rajan is a well-known art collector who owns a rare painting by a famous artist. He plans to auction the painting but recently heard that another similar painting by the same artist was sold for a record-breaking price. Expecting that prices may rise further in the future, he decides to delay the auction to maximize his profit. Meanwhile, a jewellery merchant who specializes in rare diamonds observes a surge in diamond prices. Instead of increasing supply to take advantage of higher prices, he holds back a significant portion of his inventory, anticipating even higher prices in the coming months. Analyse how the decisions of Mr. Rajan and the jewellery merchant contradict the law of supply. Evaluate the exceptions to law of supply and discus the role of future price expectations and goods sold through auctions in influencing their supply decisions. Provide examples to support your answer.

Q2B. Evaluate the role of income elasticity of demand. Calculate the income elasticity of demand and interpret the result from the below scenario. The monthly disposable income of the Mehta family increases from Rs.20,000 to Rs.50,000. As a result, their demand for organic fruits and vegetables rises from 10 kg to 25 kg per month.

Organization Behaviour & HRM

Q1. A mid-sized company has been operating with traditional HRM practices, primarily focusing on administrative functions such as payroll, recruitment, and compliance. However, as the company aims for growth and long-term competitive advantage, leadership recognizes the need to adopt a strategic HRM approach that aligns HR practices with business objectives, enhances employee engagement, and drives performance.

Despite enthusiasm for this shift, the company faces several challenges, including potential resistance to change, communication barriers, and a lack of HR capabilities to implement the transformation effectively.

Evaluate the key challenges associated with transitioning from traditional HRM to strategic HRM. How can organizations assess the effectiveness of this transition in achieving sustainable competitive advantage?

Q2A. A large company is facing challenges with employee engagement, communication, and team dynamics. Employees often feel disconnected from the company’s vision, and there is a noticeable lack of collaboration between departments. Additionally, the leadership team has noticed increasing conflict among team members, which affects overall productivity. The company recognizes the need for a better understanding of the factors that influence employee behavior in order to create a more cohesive and positive work environment.

To address these issues, the HR team has decided to explore how various behavioral disciplines can be used to improve organizational behavior and workplace dynamics. The team believes that incorporating insights from psychology, sociology, and anthropology could provide valuable strategies for enhancing communication, motivation, and team collaboration across the organization. How can the concepts from psychology, sociology, and anthropology be applied to improve organizational behavior in a workplace?

Q2B.In a rapidly growing organization, employees have become increasingly disengaged due to shifting priorities and changes in leadership. While the company has ambitious goals, there is a noticeable divide between upper management and staff, and employees are struggling to adapt to the evolving work environment. Communication breakdowns, negative attitudes, and lack of enthusiasm have started to impact collaboration and overall productivity. The HR department has identified that employee attitudes, particularly in terms of commitment, openness to change, and trust in leadership, are major contributors to the current organizational climate. They believe that improving these attitudes could help reshape the culture to better align with the company’s goals and foster a more positive work atmosphere. Analyze the role of attitude in shaping organizational culture and climate. How can management leverage attitudes to foster a positive work environment?

Principles of Management

Q1. Aryan, a first-year business student, has been assigned to lead his college fest committee. For its success, he needs to plan for budgeting, sponsorships, event scheduling, and logistics. However, he faces challenges such as limited funds, unpredictable weather conditions for outdoor events, and finding reliable volunteers. Aryan is exploring different strategies—securing corporate sponsorships, increasing ticket sales, or requesting additional funding from the college administration. He must evaluate the best approach and ensure smooth execution of the event.

Question: Evaluate Aryan’s planning process using the key steps of the Planning Process. Analyze the effectiveness of his decision-making at each stage and suggest improvements where necessary.

Q2A. Pooja is a marketing executive at a growing e-commerce company. She has been assigned the responsibility of selecting a new digital marketing strategy to boost online sales. She has three options: investing in social media advertising, collaborating with influencers, or running email marketing campaigns. Each option has its own benefits and challenges. Social media ads are costly but have a wide reach, influencer marketing can be effective but depends on the credibility of influencers, and email campaigns are cost-effective but may not engage enough customers. Pooja must decide the best approach considering the company’s limited budget and need for immediate results.

Question: Apply the decision-making process to analyze Pooja’s situation. How should she approach her decision, and what factors should she consider in selecting the best marketing strategy?

Q2B. Amit recently joined as an operations manager in a mid-sized logistics company. He notices that decision-making is slow, as every approval needs to go through multiple layers of management. Employees struggle with communication between departments, causing frequent delays in deliveries. The company follows a hierarchical structure with clearly defined roles, but Amit wonders if a different structure, such as a flat or matrix model, could improve efficiency. However, he also realizes that changing the structure may disrupt existing workflows.

Question: Analyze the impact of the company's current organizational structure on its efficiency. How could different structures address the challenges Amit has observed, and what factors should he consider before recommending a change?

Soft Skills for Managers

Q1. Emma, a marketing executive at a multinational company, has recently been promoted to a managerial role. While she excels in strategizing and executing marketing campaigns, she struggles with delivering presentations and communicating ideas confidently during team meetings. Her manager has advised her to improve her public speaking skills to enhance her professional growth and leadership abilities.

Based on Emma’s situation, analyze how effective public speaking can contribute to professional success in the workplace. Discuss the role of communication in leadership, teamwork, and career advancement.

Q2. Sarah, a young entrepreneur, was invited to deliver a keynote speech at a business conference. She meticulously planned her content but struggled with audience engagement and clarity. During her speech, she faced issues such as poor body language, an unstructured message, and ineffective use of visual aids. Some attendees appeared disinterested, and others struggled to follow her key points.

Using the 5 P’s of Presentation, evaluate how Sarah could have improved her speech delivery for a more successful public presentation.

Q3 (A) David, a project manager, is leading a client presentation along with his colleague, Lisa. During the presentation, David speaks confidently, explaining key points clearly (verbal communication). However, Lisa, who is responsible for addressing technical questions, appears nervous—she fidgets, avoids eye contact, and speaks in a low tone (non-verbal communication). The client team looks confused and hesitant by the end of the meeting.

After the presentation, David wonders whether the mixed signals in verbal and non- verbal communication affected the client’s confidence in their proposal.

Question:

Evaluate the role of verbal and non-verbal communication in this scenario. How did Lisa’s non-verbal cues impact the effectiveness of the presentation, despite the clarity in David’s verbal communication? Suggest strategies to align both forms of communication for better impact.

Q3 (B) David, a project manager, is leading a client presentation along with his colleague, Lisa. During the presentation, David speaks confidently, explaining key points clearly (verbal communication). However, Lisa, who is responsible for addressing technical questions, appears nervous—she fidgets, avoids eye contact, and speaks in a low tone (non-verbal communication). The client team looks confused and hesitant by the end of the meeting.

After the presentation, David wonders whether the mixed signals in verbal and non- verbal communication affected the client’s confidence in their proposal.

NMIMS (NCDOE) April 2025 Assignments

Business Communication

Q1. A marketing firm is considering increasing its reliance on digital media for business communication. What opportunities and challenges might this present for reaching their target audience and achieving their marketing goals?

Q2. A social media platform is facing a surge of hate speech and misinformation. How can they ethically moderate this content while upholding users' freedom of expression and avoiding accusations of censorship?

Q3 (A). You're revising your company's email communication guidelines. Evaluate the impact of requiring bullet points and headings in all business emails, considering their potential to improve clarity and engagement while also analyzing any possible drawbacks.

Q3 (B) You're the marketing lead for an online clothing retailer. Design a plan for optimizing email/SMS messages for mobile to improve declining open and click-through rates. Focus on readability and user engagement.

Financial Accounting

Q1. ABC Ltd., a small manufacturing company, is struggling with maintaining accurate financial records due to the complexity of its transactions. The management has approached you, a financial consultant, for guidance.

Required:

1. Explain how the accounting process (from identifying transactions to preparing financial statements) can help the company streamline its financial records.

2. Highlight the potential risks of skipping key steps like journalizing or preparing a trial balance, using hypothetical examples.

Note: Your answer should include real-world applications of accounting principles and demonstrate how they align with ABC Ltd.’s operational challenges.

Q2. XYZ Ltd. provides the following details from its Profit and Loss Statement for the year ended March 31, 2024:

- Revenue: Rs.25,00,000

- Cost of Goods Sold: Rs.15,00,000

- Selling and Administrative Expenses: Rs.4,00,000

- Depreciation Expense: Rs.1,50,000

- Interest Expense: Rs.50,000

- Income Tax Rate: 30% Additionally:

- The company sold a piece of machinery for Rs.1,00,000, resulting in a gain of Rs.20,000.

Required:

1. Prepare the Income Statement for XYZ Ltd. for the year ended March 31, 2024.

2. Calculate the following ratios: Net Profit Margin Operating Profit

Margin Interest Coverage Ratio.

Q3 (A) Evaluate the impact of a high Debt-to-Equity ratio on the financial stability and future growth potential of a company. Using a hypothetical company's financial data, identify possible risks associated with the ratio and recommend strategies to improve the company's leverage position. Justify your recommendations based on financial principles and industry benchmarks.

Q3 (B) XYZ Ltd. has the following information from its cash flow activities for the year ended March 31, 2025:

- Net Income: Rs.5,00,000

- Depreciation: Rs.1,00,000

- Increase in Accounts Receivable: Rs.2,00,000

- Decrease in Accounts Payable: Rs.50,000

- Purchase of Machinery: Rs.3,00,000

- Dividend Paid: Rs.1,00,000

Required:

1. Prepare the Cash Flow from Operating Activities using the indirect method.

2. Analyze how changes in working capital components impacted the cash flow from operating activities.

Marketing Management

Q1. Meera's family recently moved to Pune, and she wanted to buy a washing machine for their new home. Her decision-making process involved several steps. Initially, she identified the need after struggling with handwashing clothes. She began researching online, reading reviews, and watching videos comparing brands. Her search revealed that consumers valued energy efficiency, ease of use, and after-sales service.

At a local electronics store, Meera interacted with a salesperson who emphasized the features of a mid-range washing machine that matched her requirements. However, her children were drawn to another model with a colorful digital display. Influenced by her family’s preferences and the salesperson’s advice, Meera decided on a slightly costlier model that included advanced features and a sleek design.

After the purchase, Meera felt satisfied because the machine exceeded her expectations, offering convenience and efficiency. However, a week later, she faced issues with installation delays, which slightly dampened her overall experience.

Question:

Analyze the factors influencing Meera’s buying behavior and decision-making process in this case. Suggest how the store could improve its post-purchase services to enhance customer satisfaction.

Q2. Rahul owns EcoLife, a brand specializing in eco-friendly personal care products like biodegradable toothbrushes and organic soaps. Initially, Rahul tried to appeal to all customer segments but struggled with low sales and weak brand recognition. After consulting a marketing expert, he decided to adopt a customer value–driven marketing strategy.

Rahul identified urban millennials as his target audience—individuals concerned about sustainability and willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products. He tailored his products and marketing efforts to their preferences by offering subscription plans, attractive packaging, and detailed product stories about sustainability.

Rahul also partnered with influencers to promote EcoLife on social media and created engaging educational content about environmental impact. Within six months, sales grew by 40%, and his customer base expanded significantly. However, scaling up production to meet increased demand remained a challenge.

Question:

Evaluate how Rahul’s customer value–driven marketing strategy helped EcoLife create value for its target customers. Suggest one way Rahul can address the challenge of scaling production while maintaining quality.

Q3 (A) Aditi Sharma owns a boutique home décor store, Artisan Elegance, in Bengaluru. She noticed that her sales had plateaued despite having unique, handcrafted products. Her store's website lacked detailed product descriptions and had minimal customer engagement features. To address these challenges, Aditi revamped her website to include high-quality images, personalized product suggestions based on browsing history, and an option for customers to share their home décor stories.

She also launched a social media campaign encouraging customers to post photos of her products in their homes using the hashtag #ArtisanEleganceHomes. In return, participants received discount coupons. The campaign gained traction, leading to increased social media engagement and website visits. Many customers reported feeling more connected to the brand, stating that the personal touch enhanced their shopping experience.

Six months later, Aditi observed a 30% increase in sales and a noticeable improvement in repeat customers. However, she also encountered challenges, such as managing increased website traffic and responding to numerous customer queries on social media.

Question:

Analyze how Aditi created customer value and engagement for Artisan Elegance. Discuss the role of technology and personalized marketing in her strategy. Suggest one improvement to her current approach to address the challenges she faces.

Q3 (B) Ravi Patel runs a premium bakery, Sweet Cravings, in Mumbai, known for its artisan cakes and pastries. While customers appreciated the quality of his offerings, some found the prices high compared to competitors. Ravi decided to analyze his pricing strategy to balance customer perceptions and profitability.

He conducted a survey and discovered that customers valued the use of organic ingredients, unique flavors, and personalized designs. To capture this value, Ravi introduced a tiered pricing strategy: a standard range for budget-conscious customers, a premium range for those seeking exclusivity, and a customizable luxury range for special occasions.

Additionally, he improved communication of value through detailed product descriptions highlighting the premium ingredients and craftsmanship. Over the next three months, Ravi saw an increase in overall sales and customer satisfaction, though some customers in the standard range expressed concerns about affordability.

Question:

Analyze how Ravi’s pricing strategy reflects an understanding of customer value. Suggest one solution to address the affordability concerns of customers in the standard range while maintaining profitability.

Micro Economics & Macro Economics

Q1. Analyze how a company can utilize consumer demand analysis to explore potential markets for new eco-friendly products. Discuss factors such as identifying consumer preferences, segmenting the market, evaluating external trends, and adapting strategies. Discuss how these factors influence the company's interpretation of consumer behavior and strategy formulation. Support your analysis with examples.

Q2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) masks surged dramatically due to heightened health concerns. However, contrary to the typical behavior predicted by the law of demand, the price of PPE masks also increased despite the high demand. In some cases, the price even rose exponentially as suppliers struggled to meet the increasing demand. On the other hand, in certain regions, there were instances where masks were in abundant supply, yet prices remained relatively high due to hoarding and panic buying. Analyze the exceptions to the law of demand and supply observed in this scenario concerning PPE masks. How do these exceptions challenge traditional economic theories, and what factors contribute to this deviation from the standard demand-supply relationship?

Q3 (A) XYZ Automobiles, a mid-sized car manufacturer, recently expanded its production facilities to increase its monthly output from 10,000 to 50,000 units. With this expansion, the company observed a reduction in the per-unit production cost. The company invested in advanced machinery, hired specialized managers for different departments, and secured better financing terms from banks. Evaluate how XYZ Automobiles benefited from economies of scale in reducing its average cost of production. In your answer, explain how technical, managerial, and financial economies of scale contributed to the reduction in costs and the company’s overall efficiency.

Q3 (B) Imagine that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set an inflation target of 4% for the upcoming fiscal year. However, during this period, India faced external shocks, such as rising global oil prices and supply chain disruptions caused by a natural disaster. Domestic inflation rises to 6% due to increased food prices and wages. In response, the RBI tightens monetary policy by raising interest rates to control inflation. Businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are struggling to cope with the higher borrowing costs, while consumers are feeling the strain of rising prices on essential goods. At the same time, the government is pushing for infrastructure development to fuel economic growth. Analyze the impact of inflation targeting on economic stability and growth in India, considering the challenges faced by businesses and consumers in the given scenario. How can inflation targeting contribute to economic stability, and what are the trade-offs involved? What challenges might the RBI encounter in trying to achieve the inflation target, and how could it balance between controlling inflation and promoting growth?

Organizational Behavior

Q1. PowerTech Solutions, a mid-sized IT company, is transitioning to Agile project management to enhance productivity and customer satisfaction. However, the change initiative is encountering resistance from employees, especially middle management, who are reluctant to adapt. Workshops have been held, but they have not been effective in addressing the concerns or boosting employee morale.

Using Lewin’s Change Management Model, analyze the challenges a mentioned company faces in implementing Agile project management. Propose specific steps from this model to overcome these challenges and ensure successful adoption of the new framework.

Q2. A GTech Innovatives company specializing in renewable energy solutions, has seen a decline in employee creativity and proactive problem-solving. The leadership recently introduced a competitive bonus system tied to achieving sales targets, but it led to stress and unhealthy competition among employees. A review highlighted that employees value personal growth, teamwork, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the company’s mission. The management is debating whether to redesign their approach using Vroom’s Expectancy Theory or McClelland’s Theory of Needs to better align employee motivation with organizational goals.

Evaluate how Vroom’s Expectancy Theory or McClelland’s Theory of Needs can be applied to address the motivational challenges at GTech Innovatives. Recommend the more effective theory for fostering creativity and collaboration, justifying your choice.

Q3 (A) Geeta, a team leader at BTech Solutions, is known for being highly organized and detail-oriented, but her rigid adherence to schedules sometimes causes tension with her team. She finds it challenging to adapt to last-minute changes and struggles to understand why her team members prioritize flexibility over deadlines.

Using the Big Five Personality Traits, describe Geeta’s behavior and suggest how an understanding of her personality traits can help her improve her leadership effectiveness.

Q3 (B) Rishabh, a senior marketing manager at Creative Works, is observing his newest team member, Rita, who often misses deadlines and seems disengaged in meetings. Based on these observations, Rishabh concludes that Rita is unmotivated and assigns her fewer responsibilities. However, Rita later shares that she was overwhelmed with the new work environment and lacked clear guidance on tasks.

Using the Perception Process, describe Rishabh’s perception of Rita at different stages of the process and how he can improve his perception to avoid misjudging his team members in the future.

Quantitative Methods – I

Q1. Propose a method to use Excel for solving a binomial distribution problem, and discuss the advantages and limitations of using Excel for such statistical analyses? Solve the below problem using excel or manual method.

A company manufactures light bulbs, and it is known that 5% of the light bulbs are defective. If a quality control inspector randomly selects 20 light bulbs from a production batch, what is the probability that exactly 2 of them are defective?

Q2. A cereal company claims that the average weight of its cereal boxes is 500 grams. A quality control manager doubts this claim and randomly selects a sample of 50 boxes. The sample has a mean weight of 495 grams and a standard deviation of 10 grams. Formulate the null hypothesis (H0) and the alternate hypothesis (H1). - Perform a statistical to determine if the mean weight of the cereal boxes is significantly different from 500 grams at a significance level of 0.05.

Q3(A) Evaluate the importance of understanding the null and alternate hypotheses in the context of hypothesis testing and its impact on research outcomes?

State Null and Alternate Hypothesis for below scenarios

A health organization claims that the average sodium content in a specific brand of soup is at least 400 mg per serving. A nutritionist doubts this claim and wants to verify if the average sodium content is less than 400 mg. State Null and Alternate Hypothesis

A pharmaceutical company claims that their new drug reduces cholesterol by an average of 50 mg/dL. A medical researcher wants to verify if the average reduction is not equal to 50 mg/dL.

Q3 (B) Given the following data points for variables X and Y:

X: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

Y: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

Calculate the Pearson correlation coefficient between X and Y. Given the following data points for variables X and Y:

X: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Y: 2, 4, 5, 4, 5

Determine the equation of the regression line (Y = a + bX)

Business Economics

Q1. XYZ Pvt. Ltd., a mid-sized manufacturing company producing eco-friendly water bottles, has witnessed a surge in demand due to increased environmental awareness. However, the company faces several significant challenges in scaling up production to meet this growing demand. Firstly, the limited availability of skilled labor poses a constraint on expanding production capacity. Secondly, the company depends on imported machinery, with a three-month lead time, which delays the procurement process and hampers timely scaling efforts.

Additionally, seasonal variations in the availability of raw materials further disrupt production schedules and supply chain efficiency. These factors collectively restrict XYZ Pvt. Ltd.'s ability to respond swiftly to the rising demand, despite the reduction in production costs due to government subsidies on raw materials. As a result, the company is assessing its capacity to increase production effectively to capitalize on the growing eco-friendly water bottle market. Analyze the above scenario and discuss the concept on elasticity of supply and discuss the various determinants of elasticity of supply.

Q2. XYZ Tech Solutions is a growing software company specializing in developing mobile applications. The company plans to launch a new app designed to improve customer engagement for retail businesses. Management believes that the app will attract significant interest, but they are unsure of the future demand, especially since the market for such applications is still evolving. To make informed decisions regarding production, marketing, and resource allocation, XYZ Tech Solutions needs a reliable demand forecast. To address this, XYZ Tech decides to use the Delphi technique. On the above scenario, discuss the various factors affecting demand forecasting and details about Delphi technique method of demand forecasting with respect to above context.

Q3. XYZ Electronics, a leading retailer in consumer electronics, is planning to introduce a price reduction on their latest smartphone model, the SmartTech Pro. The current price of the smartphone is ₹50,000, and the company estimates that if they lower the price to ₹45,000, the quantity demanded will increase from 10,000 units to 15,000 units.

a) Calculate the price elasticity of demand for the SmartTech Pro using the percentage/proportionate change method.

b) Analyze the above scenario and specify If the company observes that competitors are also reducing their prices for similar models, how might this affect the elasticity of demand for the SmartTech Pro?

Financial Accounting & Analysis

Q1. Prepare final accounts from the following balances –

Trial Balance as on 31.03.2024

	Dr	Cr
Building	1087000
Plant and Machinery	250000
Stock 1.4.2015	100000
Loose Tools	100000
Carriage Inward	5000
Wages	10000
Purchases	450000
Purchases Return		45000
Sales		845000
Sales Return	10000
Cash	50000
Bank	250000
Debtors	62000
Creditors		459000
Printing and Stationery	10000
Bad Debts	50000
Advertisement	36000
Furniture	105000
General Expenses	5000
Capital Account		495000
Bills Payable		156000
Reserves and Surplus		580000
Total	2580000	2580000

Addition information:

The closing inventory as on 31.03.2024 was valued at Rs. 3,68,500.
Depreciation on plant @ 15% and on Building @ 10%.
Outstanding printing and stationery expense Rs. 5000.
Prepaid advertisement expense Rs. 15000.

Q2. Raj Limited provides the following information for the immediately preceding two years. From the given information prepare Comparative Income Statement of the company for the two- year period:

Particulars	2023	2024
Particulars	Rs. Million	Rs. Million
Sales	5,000	3,750
Cost of goods sold	3,000	2,450
Operating expenses	750	490
Financial expenses	500	340
Income tax	150	95
Net profit	600	375

Q3(a). Dividend is the distribution of profits by a company to its shareholders. Companies generally pay two types of dividends: Interim dividend and Final dividend. You are required to explain the term Dividend and explain the two types of dividends.

Q3(b). In order to take management decisions for a company, it is important to analyze the financial statements of the company in detail with the help of various financial analysis techniques. Explain in one sentence each the 5 techniques of analyzing financial statements.

Information System for Managers

1) An IT Company is working on multiples projects of a client from onsite. One of the Project needs to be delivered within shorter span of time and fixed deadline provided by the client. Discuss what is Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and which SDLC model will be implemented to complete this Project with fixed deadline and shorter span. Explain your answer with relevant justifications and examples.

2) Deluxe Jewellery as a startup has started their Jewellery business in Pune city. With the expansion of its business, they have established their offices in various cities of other parts of the country. As Deluxe Jewellery is startup hence, they want to centralize the management of all the operations from one location with a software which can be used by shops of all the locations.

Discuss how Cloud Technology can help Deluxe Jewellery to achieve their objectives. Also, explain which Cloud services will be applicable for operating the system centrally.

3) An employee at a company receives an email that appears to be from their bank, asking them to update their account details by clicking on a provided link. Later, it is discovered that the link led to a phishing website, and sensitive information was compromised.

a) Discuss what could be the possible threats and vulnerabilities which an organization/employee may face.

b) Discuss what could be the security measures to overcome these threats and vulnerabilities.

Management Theory and Practice

1. Bharat Industries, a traditional textile manufacturer in Surat, is facing declining profits due to rising competition and changing customer preferences. The CEO, Mr. Sharma, recognizes the need for organizational change to adapt to the dynamic market. He aims to introduce new product lines, expand into online retail, and implement a performance-based reward system.

Based on the factors influencing organizational structure, how should Mr. Sharma restructure Bharat Industries to achieve its goals?

2. Deccan Delights, a renowned sweet shop in Hyderabad, is facing a sudden drop in sales due to changing consumer preferences towards healthier snacks. The owner, Ms. Reddy, needs to make quick decisions to revive the business. She is considering introducing sugar-free options, expanding the product range to include savory snacks, and launching online delivery services.

Based on the types of managerial decision-making, what types of decisions does Ms. Reddy need to make to address the challenges faced by Deccan Delights?

3. A fast-growing Indian tech startup, "Innovision," is struggling with leadership challenges. The CEO, Ms. Khushboo Sharma, is a brilliant coder but lacks leadership skills. She adopts an autocratic style, making all decisions without considering employee input. This has led to demotivation, low morale, and high employee turnover.

3 a. What are the potential negative consequences of Ms. Sharma's autocratic leadership style on Innovision?

3 b. How can Ms. Sharma adapt her leadership style to improve employee morale and motivation at Innovision?

Marketing Management

Q1. For products like Amazon Alexa, and Google Siri (Voice assisted task completion gadget), develop a simple consumer buyer behaviour stages-based note to be shared with the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of your organization.

Q2. For the product or service of your choice, design a customer-driven marketing strategy that covers four major steps (or components) of the STP marketing model.

Q3. LAUNDROMAT INC., one of the UK’s leading laundry and dry cleaning service support providers, has entered India. It is following a franchising model and expanding rapidly. They offer cloth pick-up and drop service as well as at-home ironing service. Currently, they have 15 outlets across 5 cities. The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) needs to develop a broad market development plan. Certain basic understanding is needed by him, which you can provide by answering the following two questions.

a) First, identify and explain the four characteristics that affect the marketing of services with one example. Later identify the services of Laundromat Inc. as equal to which specific service characteristic and justify your answer.

b) Prepare your brief note for the CMO to suggest what is direct and digital marketing and suggest what Laundromat Inc. needs to do for each.

Organisational Behaviour

1. Reflecting on your professional experience, describe any two situations where your job satisfaction and organizational commitment were respectively challenged during a work situation. Also discuss how you responded to these challenges and what were the outcomes?

2. Write about an experience where perceptual shortcuts, such as stereotyping, the halo effect or selective perception, influenced your judgment of a colleague or how a colleague judge you. Describe the situation, its impact on workplace dynamics and the lessons learned.

Also discuss how awareness of these perceptual shortcuts can improve organizational behavior?

3. Alpha Corp. takes care of its employees in a number of ways. There are fixed timing, good catering and transportation facilities to its employees. Senior management continuously interacts with junior people even at an informal level. All events are celebrated together. The culture of openness has brought harmony in the organization. Younger employees adapt the culture of seniors quickly. The organization focuses on the overall development of its employees by providing them will all kinds of training and good compensation is offered.

As a result of all these positive aspects of culture, it has been observed that there is a scarcity of competitive drive among employees. Career growth is also not very fast. Being that the organization is highly structured, the facility for feedback and change is minimized. People do not like to task risks. The difference in the quality of research creates resentment among project teams. As stability is a priority even incompetent and unmotivated employees tend to remain in the system. People are still not satisfied with the monetary compensation. An interesting trend observed is that people appreciate the organization and its values but it is the younger set who quit the organization within 2 years of joining. The middle managers leave only when they get senior leadership positions in other place while senior management rarely leaves.

a. How would you classify this organization on cultural parameters? What are the problems being encountered by this organization?

b. If you were the CEO of this organization, how would you bring about a positive culture in the organization?

Business Communication

1. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) is planning a large-scale renovation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station. To ensure the project's success, the MMC decides to hire an external contractor with expertise in historical restoration and modern infrastructure.

What key factors should the MMC consider when evaluating the bids received in response to their RFP for the CSMT renovation project?

2. Aryan Industries, a textile company in Surat, is launching a new line of sustainable fabrics. They plan to use social media, email marketing, and press releases to promote their products. However, their previous marketing campaigns have been inconsistent and lacked a clear brand voice.

How can Aryan Industries ensure consistency and professionalism in their communication to project a strong and credible company image for their new sustainable fabric line?

3. A small handicraft business in rural Rajasthan, “Desert Designs,” struggled to reach customers beyond their village. They adopted a mobile-first strategy, creating an online store accessible via smartphones and utilizing social media for marketing. This allowed them to connect with customers across India, receive online payments, and significantly expand their business.

Answer the following questions in light of the information provided.

a) How has the mobile revolution contributed to economic growth and empowerment, particularly in the Indian context?

b) Discuss the role of mobile technology in bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusivity in India.

Business Law

Q1. Intellectual Property Rights are an important asset for an organization. In today’s competitive business environment there is a need to protect and enforce Intellectual Property Rights. Please highlight the nature and types of Intellectual Property Rights and give one real life example on how businesses can achieve competitive advantage through Intellectual Property Rights?

Q2. Environment Protection is a key objective linked to business goals and it impacts organizations, if they violate laws governing environment protection. Authorities like National Green Tribunal have come down heavily on organizations that violate such laws. List down two (2) judgments/orders where the National Green Tribunal has passed orders/directions to ensure protection of environment, and which has adversely impacted businesses.

Q3. Healthcom is an Indian health tech company that has products which deploy cardiology monitoring technology in India. Healthcom’s products are always approved by the DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) and only then they are launched in India.

Healthcom has received a request from a Public Information Officer of the DCGI’s office to disclose all technical details and commercial information of the patented technology that it uses in its products. This request is based on a RTI application which the Public Information Officer has received from a consumer in India.

In light of the above facts, can you advise Healthcom on:

a) Whether Healthcom is required to disclose such information under Right to Information Act, 2005? Can it deny the disclosing of such information especially if it is requested under Right to Information Act, 2005?

b) List of exemptions from disclosure of information under Right to Information Act, 2005 and the relevant legal provisions.

Decision Science

1) Calculate Quartile Deviation from the following:

Earnings (Rs)	Number of Persons
25	25
26	70
27	210
28	275
29	430
30	550
31	340
32	130
33	90
34	55
35	25

2) Calculate Median from the following:

Class - Interval	Number of Students
0-10	5
10-20	8
20-30	7
30-40	12
40-50	28
50-60	20
60-70	10
70-80	10

3.a) A bag contains 6 white and 4 black balls. Two balls are drawn at random one after another without replacement. Find the probability that both drawn balls are white.

3.b) In an intelligence test administered on 1000 children, the average was 42 and standard deviation was 24. Find the number of children exceeding a score of 50.

Essentials of HRM

Q1). Fusion Food Mart is a family-owned Indian supermarket chain, Anil Kumar, its present Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is the grandson of the organisation’s cofounder. The company never planned too much on the HR Plan they did HR planning as and when required Anil’s daughter, Ravina, is the president of the company, appointed you to develop an HR plan for a Fusion Food Mart having branches in major towns in India: What specific external and Internal factors would be important for you to consider.

Q2). Satya Sai InfoTech is an Information Technology Company in Hyderabad. The five-year-old company now wants to expand its branches to Bangalore, Gurgaon and Mumbai so they realize to create a vibrant human resource department for managing people functions. You have been appointed as their GM - HR. Explain to the company management, what will be the scope of your department in this expansion and justify the need of HR department.

Q3). Rohit is working as a Sales Executive from past three years in an FMCG company. He is a very hard working and dedicated employee. His performance has also been good consistently but in the absence of good connection with the immediate boss Ashok he never got his fair share of success. In this situation he searched a job and wants to resign. He communicated the same to Ashok who is his reporting Manager. Ashok knows about his hard work and realized the injustice happened with him. Ashok knows it happened in the lack of proper appraisal system and lack of career planning but now he can’t do anything expect to lose an important talent.

a) Suggest Ashok in developing an appropriate appraisal system. Why the effective Performance appraisal system required?

b) What is career planning and why it is important? In the absence of incentives does career planning help in retention? Mention all the pros and cons of career planning.

Operations Management

1. Discuss the importance of an effective layout design in operations management and compare the various layout types commonly implemented in manufacturing and service industries, outlining their advantages and disadvantages. Then, evaluate the specific challenges and opportunities related to both electric vehicle (EV) assembly plants and traditional automotive assembly lines. Conclude by recommending the most appropriate layout for each, justifying how the chosen layout optimally addresses the distinct requirements and operational challenges of each format.

2. Amazon Fresh is a prominent online grocery delivery platform that has gained popularity for its seamless operations and timely deliveries. A crucial factor contributing to its success is its advanced inventory management system. Discuss the concept of Amazon Fresh and how it differs from traditional brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Highlight various inventory management techniques commonly used in the e-commerce grocery industry and evaluate the key components and strategies implemented by Amazon Fresh to ensure operational efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction.

3. A renowned artisanal coffee shop chain is planning to open a new mid-sized outlet in your locality. Leveraging their expertise in brewing and branding, they are confident about efficiently managing the new coffee shop's operations. The shop’s offerings and the associated requirements are as follows:

Standard single orders (e.g., cappuccinos, lattes): Require 1 barista for 5 minutes per order.
Extended multiple orders (e.g., group orders): Require 2 baristas, each working for 8 minutes per order.
Custom beverages (e.g., personalized drinks): Require 3 baristas, each working for 10 minutes per order.

The demand forecast for the next four weeks is as follows:

Order Type	Anticipated Demand (Next 4 Weeks)
Standard single orders	3000
Extended multiple orders	1500
Custom beverages	500

a. Estimate the aggregate capacity required to fulfill the anticipated demand for the next four weeks. If the coffee shop employs 15 baristas, working 6 days a week for 8 hours per day, calculate the current capacity available. Compare the required capacity with the available capacity to determine if the shop can meet the demand. If not, calculate the additional capacity needed.

b. Propose strategies to address the issue of underutilization of capacity and calculate the number of baristas required to meet 100% capacity utilization.

Strategic Management

1. You are the CMO of Godrej Consumer Products, and sequentially sales are dropping every quarter – and the steepest decline (~10%) has happened in in this quarter. Naturally, the management is worried about this situation. In these circumstances. Analyze the reasons for the dropping revenue. What strategic approaches would you suggest in this situation? Give valid reasons to support your answer.

2. Given the size of the Indian market, the NBA is keen to expand into India and they have hired your Consulting firm to advise them. Describe (at least two) tools you’d use in your analysis and why you’re choosing them. Summarize your Action Plan and a high-level timeline.

3. You are the Head - Marketing Strategy for X-India. Your business is dependent on Paid Accounts and Advertising. However, despite the large number of consumers using your app, Advertising Revenue has been flat for the past 3 quarters. In this situation…

a. Create a strategy to attract advertisers. Provide examples to support your answer.

b. Develop two strategies to communicate with your advertisers.

Digital Marketing

1. GlowX, a newly launched skincare brand, aims to develop an effective digital marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, engage with potential customers, and drive sales. The brand plans to utilize social media advertising, regularly update its blog and social media pages with valuable content, and encourage customers to share reviews and testimonials online. Using these details, discuss how the POEM Framework (Paid, Owned, Earned Media) can be applied to GlowX’s strategy.

2. A leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, Tech Sphere, specializes in offering cloud-based solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company has recently observed a decline in the quality of inbound leads through traditional marketing efforts like email and webinars. To address this, Tech Sphere wants to focus more on leveraging social media platforms to improve lead generation, establish thought leadership, and build relationships with decision-makers. Discuss how Tech Sphere can effectively use Social Media Marketing to achieve its goals. You should discuss what all social media platforms the company can use and the rationale for the same, considering its B2B marketing (discuss at least 3). Also, discuss in detail the social media marketing strategy for each of the platforms identified.

3. Smart Wear, a leading brand in wearable technology, is planning to launch a new line of fitness trackers. To drive sales and build customer relationships, the company wants to leverage a strategic email marketing campaign focusing on product launches, post-purchase engagement, and customer retention. The team also wants to integrate Search Engine Marketing (SEM) alongside their email strategy to maximize visibility and conversions.

a. Design an effective email marketing strategy to launch their new fitness trackers, ensuring that the content is valuable, engaging, and aligned with customer needs at each stage of the customer journey (product launch, post-purchase engagement, and retention).

b. Develop an SEM strategy that complements their email marketing efforts, focusing on increasing website traffic, targeting the right audience, and optimizing conversions for the new fitness trackers.

Organisational Theory, Structure and Design

1. For a developing economy like India, encouraging the start-up culture is essential. In this scenario, evaluate the different necessary features of organisation – a large-scale company vs a start-up. Add suitable examples.

2. Kinetics mobile is losing market share to its competitors India. Analyse using the 7-S Framework of McKinsey to identify potential changes in the strategy of the firm to secure its market position. Evaluate various internally focussed organisational aspects that needs attention. Give suitable examples.

3. Ananya, the Managing Director of Summer Vibes clothing company wants to introduce a new work culture for enhancing Organisational Effectiveness. In this context, answer the following with examples:

a. Evaluate various organisational parameters for enhancing a clothing company’s effectiveness.

b. Analyze the theory on the Goal Approach along with its pros and cons.

Corporate Finance

1. Mr. Joshi is the Finance Manager at M/s Vriddhi Impex. The Company is looking at lateral growth and diversification into garment making from cloth making. For doing this, there needs to be put up a factory with all the latest machinery for cutting and stitching garments. The cost of acquisition of land, setting up the factory and buying the machinery works out to Rs. 100 lacs. It is estimated that the project will start generating revenue immediately from year 1. The Net revenue (after tax) for the next 5 years is Rs. 20 lacs, 30 lacs, 35 lacs, 45 lacs, 48 lacs.

A new loan is available to Vridhi Impex at 9% p.a. interest rate (net of tax). Mr. Joshi has another proposal which gives him a return of 12% p.a. and hence he does not want to invest below this rate.

Assist Mr. Joshi to evaluate the project proposal using NPV and IRR. (Show all calculations for comparing it with the alternative proposal also). Should he go ahead with the project proposal?

2. Parag is evaluating 3 options for investment of his surplus money of Rs. 15,00,000/- for a period of 5 years.

i. Invest it in a Debenture which gives him a return of 12% compounded quarterly.

ii. Invest in a Corporate Deposit at a rate of 9% compounded bi-annually.

iii. Invest it in a Business Proposal which gives him the following returns.

Considering the risk involved, the discounting factor is considered @ 11%.

Year	CF
1	250,000
2	350,000
3	575,000
4	525,000
5	645,000

As his finance advisor which option would you suggest him. Provide reasons.

3. a) In the following Balance sheet, calculate the Current Ratio and the Acid Test Ratio for both years Mar 2024 and Mar 2023. What do they indicate about the company’s financial position and the movement over the years?

Tata Motors
	----- in Rs. Cr. -----
	Mar 24	Mar. 23
EQUITIES AND LIABILITIES
SHAREHOLDER'S FUNDS
Equity Share Capital	766.50	766.02
Total Share Capital	766.50	766.02
Reserves and Surplus	29,374.83	21,701.37
Total Reserves and Surplus	29,374.83	21,701.37
Money Received Against Share Warrants	-	-
Total Shareholders’ Funds	30,141.33	22,467.39
	1.72	2.46
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Long Term Borrowings	5,235.67	10,445.70
Deferred Tax Liabilities [Net]	49.78	51.16
Other Long-Term Liabilities	1,392.16	1,411.78
Long Term Provisions	1,936.92	1,588.75
Total Non-Current Liabilities	8,614.53	13,497.39
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Short Term Borrowings	8,535.37	8,426.74
Trade Payables	8,826.46	7,162.60
Other Current Liabilities	8,830.41	9,805.30
Short Term Provisions	1,133.92	408.89
Total Current Liabilities	27,326.16	25,803.53
Total Capital and Liabilities	66,083.74	61,770.77
ASSETS
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Tangible Assets	11,990.26	12,129.14
Intangible Assets	2,353.79	2,413.18
Capital Work-In-Progress	645.03	575.65
Intangible Assets Under Development	588.92	509.30
Fixed Assets	15,578.00	15,627.27
Non-Current Investments	30,315.57	29,181.62
Deferred Tax Assets [Net]	1,558.65	1,477.26
Long Term Loans and Advances	101.89	114.40
Other Non-Current Assets	3,321.96	3,870.27
Total Non-Current Assets	50,876.07	50,270.82
CURRENT ASSETS
Current Investments	1,993.50	3,142.96
Inventories	3,470.38	3,027.90
Trade Receivables	2,765.16	2,307.72
Cash And Cash Equivalents	5,150.96	1,414.65
Short Term Loans and Advances	132.19	132.29
Other Current Assets	1,695.48	1,474.43
Total Current Assets	15,207.67	11,499.95
Total Assets	66,083.74	61,770.77

b) Monica has a debenture of Face value Rs. 100/- @ 8.5%. Calculate its current yield if:

i) Market Price is Rs. 98.90

ii) Market Price is Rs. 95.20 iii) Market Price is Rs. 105

What inference can you draw from this about the relation between Market price and yield?

International Business

Q1. A lot of products made in China dominate our markets and have made production unprofitable for Indian manufacturers. What would be your view on allowing the entry of Chinese products in India?

Q2. Leading critics of WTO including economists such as Dani Rodrik and Ha Joon Chang have submitted that WTO only serves the interests of MNCs, undermines local development, penalizes poor countries and is causing increase in inequality. Express your view on the above and suggest the changes that in your opinion can bring improvement to the developing countries.

Q3. Read the following case study carefully and then answer the questions that follow: French company Jeanne Oliver Perfumes is contemplating to introduce a perfume by the brand name SK, named after an Indian charismatic celebrity Shah Rukh Khan. The perfume is available in two variants, SK Silver for men and SK Gold for Women. The perfumes are packaged in 100ml pump spray bottle. The strategy would be to capture a large number of consumers who are oriented towards film celebrities. Advertising is also planned through television satellite channels and magazines. You are required to analyze the following:

a. In your opinion what pricing strategy you would like to apply during the launch of the product?

b. Due to low cost of manufacturing in India the French company wishes to export the product from India to other countries. Examine in your view the various type market entry strategies available to the French company and which strategy would you use to market the product?

Cost & Management Accounting

Q1. The stock in hand of material as on 1st September was 500 units at Rs. 10 per unit. The following purchases and issues were subsequently made. Prepare the Stores Ledger Account showing how the value of the issues would be recorded under FIFO method.

Purchases:

6th Sept. 100 units at Rs. 11

20th Sept. 700 units at Rs. 12

27th Sept. 400 units at Rs. 13

13th Oct. 1,000 units at Rs. 14

20th Oct. 500 units at Rs. 15

17th Nov. 400 units at Rs. 16

Issues:

9th Sept. 500 units

22nd Sept. 500 units

30th Sept. 500 units

15th Oct. 500 units

22nd Oct. 500 units

11th Nov. 500 units

Q2. Discuss the role of management accounting in shaping strategic decisions within an organization. Provide examples of how management accounting practices can influence long-term planning and sustainability.

Q3 (a) Calculate Break-Even Point from the following particulars.

Fixed Cost Rs.1,50,000

Variable cost per unit Rs.10

Selling price per unit Rs.15

Q3 (b) Analyze the differences between standard costing and budgetary control. How do these tools help in managing operational performance within an organization?

Brand Management

Q1. The strategic brand management process has four main steps. Please explain and relate one of the steps namely ‘Identify and establish brand positioning and values’. You may relate this specific step to the brand ‘MAGGI’ (from Nestle).

Q2. Gillette Limited, world famous for its razors also has numerous products based on brand extension principles. They have products like Gillette shaving gel, foams, after- shave lotion and more. List and relate how Gillette Limited would have evaluated brand extension opportunities available to them. List at least any three brand extension opportunities identification steps.

Q3. McDonalds is a world-famous fast-food restaurant chain. They also have over 500 numbers of outlets in India. McDonald’s has several outlets opened through a franchisee route. McDonald’s also does innovative sales promotion ideas. By understanding certain aspects of McDonald's story, one can understand brand management better. Answer the following questions and support MBA learning students to understand branding better by reading your notes.

a) Identify any two brand elements of McDonald’s in India and provide your understanding of the criteria based on which various brand elements are decided by McDonalds. Your answer must related to McDonalds brand elements only.

b) Identify and relate any two innovative sales promotion ideas used by McDonald’s in India and explain what may have been the purpose of doing it.

Consumer Behaviour

Q1. Critically evaluate how buying a home theatre system would be different from buying a shampoo of your choice using the Tri-component model. Use any existing brand of the above-mentioned product categories to explain the same.

Q2. Following a public vote in which more than 37,000 people had their say, “Brainrot” has been declared that the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024. Brainrot is a term is used for low- quality online content that people binge-watch or scroll through for long periods and how this influences their product and brand choices. It is linked to social media trends, viral topics and trending topics. Please analyse how this phenomenon influences consumer buying behaviour.

Q3. Apply the concept of Just Noticeable Difference [JND] to the following:

a. Appointing brand ambassadors - Asian Paints and Kansai Nerolac Paints are planning to appoint a brand ambassador. Do you recommend that both paint companies should have a brand ambassador on the basis of JND. If yes please suggest two names of brand ambassadors – one for Asian Paints and the other for Kansai Nerolac with reasons thereof.

Q3 (a): Appointing Brand Ambassadors for Asian Paints and Kansai Nerolac Paints

Q3 (b): Cadbury’s Perk and Nestle’s Kitkat are 2 competing chocolates. Both want to run a promotion for Perk and Kitkat. Perk has announced a promotion on their 30 numbers x 13.8 gms bar pack size – get 10 bars more at the same price [price of 30 Bars of Perk at Rs. 150, after promotion they are giving 40 Bars at Rs. 150]. Nestle has a pack of 10 Kitkat’s of 13.8 gms each. What promotion would you recommend for Nestle’s Kitkat. Please justify the same based on JND.

International Marketing

Q1. What are your views on Foreign Direct Investments FDI and FII and how do both impact our country?

Q2. Many countries today are promoting “Go Local “to promote Local consumption. What is your view on nations promoting local production and how does it impact globalization?

Q3. Read the following case study carefully and then answer the questions that follow: Your firm manufactures Incense sticks also called Agarbatti, in India and desires to market them globally. Although there is competition, you see that Mauritius has a huge potential and plan to expand your company’s retail operations in Mauritius.

a) Discuss the market entry strategy that you would recommend to launch your company products in Mauritius.

b) How does global pricing policies help in launch of products. In your view which pricing policies do you think would be appropriate while launching of Incense sticks in Mauritius?

Marketing Strategy

Q1. Imagine you are the marketing manager for a new luxury smartphone brand entering the Indian market. The company aims to create a unique position in a highly competitive market. Discuss the strategic mapping and key decisions you would consider while formulating the marketing strategy for this product. Explain how external environmental factors, such as economic conditions and technological advancements, would influence your strategy.

Q2. You are tasked with developing a marketing strategy for a new premium skincare brand in India that targets middle-to-high-income urban women aged 25-45. Describe how you would segment the market for this product and select the target market. Discuss how you would position the brand using the concepts of customer value and competitive advantage.

Q3. M/s XYZ is a startup that has recently launched an innovative, eco-friendly, reusable water bottle in the Indian market. The bottle is crafted from high-quality stainless steel, ensuring durability and safety. Its primary objective is to promote sustainability by reducing single-use plastic waste. The product is competitively priced at INR 500 and is available in a variety of colors (red, blue, green, black) and sizes (500ml, 750ml, 1L).

The company has identified its target market as environmentally conscious urban consumers aged 18-45, residing in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. Their market research indicates a growing interest in sustainable products but also reveals competition from established brands offering similar reusable bottles priced between INR 400–700.

M/s XYZ has allocated a modest marketing budget and plans to use a mix of digital platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, and online marketplaces, like Amazon and Flipkart, for its product promotion and distribution. The company is looking for innovative strategies to differentiate its products and create a strong market presence.

a) Using Ansoff’s Product-Market Growth Matrix, develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for M/s XYZ, addressing potential opportunities for market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.

b) Suggest an appropriate pricing strategy for the product, considering factors like competitors' pricing, consumer willingness to pay, and the brand’s sustainability message. Justify your recommendations with a rationale.

Sales Management

1. A sales manager notices that one of their top-performing sales personnel, Ravi, has been consistently missing targets over the last three months. Upon discussion, Ravi shares that he feels undervalued and mentions that newer team members receive more recognition. As a sales manager, what steps would you take to motivate Ravi and ensure he regains his enthusiasm and performance levels?

2. Prepare a Sales Plan for a brand of electronic goods focusing in rural market.

3. Read the case & answer the questions based on the case:

XYZ Pvt. Ltd., a growing FMCG company, is planning to expand its market presence in Tier- 2 and Tier-3 cities. The sales manager, Mr. Mehta, has been asked to prepare the sales budget for the upcoming financial year. He reviews historical sales data, market demand, and competitor strategies to set a target of a 20% increase in sales. He allocates funds for promotional campaigns, salesforce incentives, and distribution enhancements. However, during the budget review meeting, the finance team recommends a 10% cut, citing cost constraints. This forces Mr. Mehta to reconsider the allocation of funds without compromising the growth target.

Questions:

a. How should Mr. Mehta prioritize his budget allocation to balance cost efficiency with achieving the sales growth target?

b. What alternative strategies can Mr. Mehta consider to optimize resources and still meet the expansion goals?

Enterprise Resource Planning

1. Your organization is implementing an ERP system for the first time. However, the finance team is resistant to adopting the new system due to concerns about complexity. Discuss why it is important to provide training to the team members of Finance department. Discuss the benefits of ERP System and explain phased implementation of ERP.

2) AcademiGO is an emerging training company with few modules of HR and Finance for its operations of providing training for on-job training requirements of various companies. The specified functionalities only cater to a particular requirement with limited integration of functionalities. Most of the processes are complex and time consuming. They decided to reorganize its system and processes to improve its efficiency by adding more modules to ERP system with modules for all operations of the AcademiGO. Idea is to make it automated system and integrated, flexible, and scalable.

Discuss which other modules can be added to existing ERP system for AcademiGO with what functionalities and what could be the challenges in ERP implementation.

3) ITThink is an IT Company with the motive of providing solutions to different Organisations by catering to their specific product related requirements. They have decided to implement ERP system in their organization to integrate the various business processes and to enhance the efficiency of the organization.

Considering the above scenario, discuss the following:

a) What could be the major reasons for ITThink to switch to ERP system?

b) Discuss the need of vendor selection for ERP implementation.

Operations and Supply Chain Strategies

1. PQR, a multinational retail company, recently launched new private-label products that have been well-received by customers. While customer demand is growing due to the diverse product mix, the company's operational performance has not kept pace, resulting in inefficiencies in meeting this demand. Analyze the potential supply chain challenges contributing to this performance gap. Propose specific supply chain strategies to improve efficiency, meet growing demand, and enhance overall performance.

2. Last month, you launched a new electronics business. As part of your growth strategy, you plan to expand by opening additional branches both within your city and in other locations. To further boost revenue, you are considering entering international markets. However, the dynamic marketplace presents tough competition from both online and offline competitors. Analyze and suggest a different level of strategies that you will implement in the firm that can improve overall business profit.

3. A toy company has been operating successfully in the Indian market for several years, with multiple branches across cities. The company is now considering establishing its own manufacturing unit, aligning with the government’s push for domestic manufacturing under the 'Make in India' initiative.

a. Identify and explain the critical competitive dimensions the company must focus on to enhance market share and achieve excellence in its supply chain operations.

b. Given the management's uncertainty regarding the production process, recommend the most suitable production method (e.g., job, batch, mass, or continuous production) to improve efficiency, and justify your choice based on the company's business goals.

Procurement Management

Q.1 ABC Healthcare is a mid-sized pharmaceutical company that specializes in producing over-the-counter (OTC) medications. With steady growth and diversification into new product lines, the demand for various raw materials, packaging supplies, and third-party services has significantly increased. However, the procurement system at ABC Healthcare has not adapted to these changes, resulting in sourcing delays, inconsistent purchasing practices, and potential cost inefficiencies. Identify and describe the various requisition types that ABC Healthcare may encounter in its procurement operations, emphasizing the importance of requisition categorization for effective procurement planning and execution. Additionally, propose a structured process for issuing an RFx (Request for Proposal, Request for Quotation, or Request for Information) to ensure optimal supplier selection and contract negotiation for ABC Healthcare.

Q.2 SolarBright Ltd. is a global manufacturer and distributor of solar energy equipment, sourcing components from international suppliers and delivering products to clients worldwide. Despite its success in the renewable energy market, the company faces significant challenges in managing its transportation and logistics. Issues such as inconsistent shipment traceability, high transportation costs, and discrepancies in documentation have resulted in delayed deliveries and operational inefficiencies. Explain the concept of INCO terms and their importance in global supply chain management by analyzing how selecting the appropriate INCO terms can influence SolarBright Ltd.'s transportation costs and responsibilities. Additionally, evaluate the potential risks associated with inaccurate or incomplete shipping documentation and propose strategies or technologies to improve shipment visibility and traceability.

Q.3 GreenHarvest AgriTech, a rapidly expanding agritech company specializing in sustainable farming solutions, is encountering challenges in sourcing reliable suppliers for eco-friendly materials, streamlining supplier onboarding, and evaluating supplier performance. These difficulties threaten the company’s ability to maintain operational efficiency and meet growing market demands.

a. Discuss the significance of conducting spend analysis for GreenHarvest AgriTech to uncover cost-saving opportunities and explore strategic sourcing options by outlining a step-by-step approach to improving the supplier selection process.

b. Discuss how understanding Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can aid GreenHarvest AgriTech in making strategic decisions regarding supplier and product selection.

Total Quality Management

Q1. Discuss on the relevance of the statement ''Quality always comes at a cost’ in context of the concept of the Cost of Quality (CoQ), explaining in details the four components of CoQ. Illustrate the concept with references from any industry/ organisational instance of your choice.

Q2. Discuss the relevance of Supplier relationship and explain the various approaches for supplier sourcing and evaluation as applicable to any organisation targeting total quality. Support your answer giving suitable references from the industry.

Q3. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a strategic method of comprehending customer`s choices, translating the choices into product features and design the products. The concept is extensively used in both manufacturing as well as service industries. Assuming any reference of a manufacturing or service industry of your choice, explain the following aspects of QFD.

a. Discuss in brief the process of concept of 'Quality Function Deployment' and highlight its benefits.

b. Explain how the concept of Poka yoke be applied to ensure Quality being deployed into products and services.

Service Operations Management

Q1. List and explain in detail the various Service dimensions through organisations are analysed and judged for Quality by customers? Elaborate your answer with a reference of any Professional educational institute of your choice.

Q2. Discuss the concept of the ‘Service Design; highlighting in detail the different approaches through which organizations can implement ‘Service Design’? Support your details with a reference to a Fast-food chain or a restaurant setup (you can choose any reference of your own choice).

Q3. The Healthcare sector has become a very critical service sector domain in recent times, especially post Covid scenario. Hence it is very obvious for Healthcare Institutes to plan their operations in several ways to provide the best services to their target customers. Explain the following aspects of these organisations in context of the following areas as given below.

a. Discuss the different elements that need to be considered in a Service Framework of the setup.

b. Discuss the concept of a Service Design (Blueprinting) in context of healthcare setups for their service operations.

Supply Chain Management

1. You are the Chief Operations Officer of a growing e-commerce company struggling with high operational costs and delivery delays. To address these challenges, your company is considering outsourcing logistics and customer support services. Identify and analyze the factors you would consider before selecting an outsourcing partner. Design a strategy to monitor the performance of the outsourced processes and ensure quality control and also discussed factors to be considered before selecting an outsourcing partner. Propose measures to manage potential risks, such as data security and loss of brand identity, while working with the outsourcing partner.

2. Imagine you are a supply chain manager for a popular consumer electronics brand. The company recently launched a new product, and initial demand spikes have caused significant disruptions in the supply chain. The manufacturing team has overproduced, leading to excess inventory, while the retailers are now reporting declining sales. Identify the factors that might have contributed to the bullwhip effect in this scenario. Propose strategies to stabilize the supply chain and prevent similar disruptions in the future.

3. You are the supply chain manager for a global apparel brand that experiences significant variability in customer demand due to seasonal trends. The company currently follows a push strategy, manufacturing large volumes of products based on forecasted demand. However, unsold inventory during off-seasons and stockouts during peak seasons have led to inefficiencies and lost sales.

a. Analyze the challenges associated with the current push-based approach in this scenario.

b. Propose how a hybrid push-pull strategy could be implemented to balance inventory levels and meet customer demand effectively.

Warehouse Management

1. You have been hired as a warehouse manager for a large e-commerce company. Your task is to optimize warehouse operations to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. Describe the steps you would take to achieve this, considering the following aspects:

Assessing the current layout and design of the warehouse
Implementing inventory management systems and practices
Training and managing warehouse staff to adapt to new processes and technologies
Addressing common operational challenges, such as space utilization and order accuracy
Enhancing safety and compliance measures within the warehouse
Measuring the impact of your improvements on overall warehouse performance and customer satisfaction.

2. Discuss how the integration of technology and automation in warehouse operations impacts both the functionality of the warehouse and the roles of its staff. Analyze the benefits and potential challenges of this integration, and propose strategies for effectively managing these changes.

3. Pharma Co. is a pharmaceutical company that operates a central warehouse to manage the storage and distribution of medications and medical supplies. The warehouse is responsible for activities such as receiving shipments from manufacturers, storing sensitive products under specific conditions, picking and packing orders for pharmacies and hospitals, and handling returns of expired or damaged goods. Recently, Pharma Co. has noticed an increase in warehouse operational costs and seeks ways to optimize activities to reduce expenses.

a. Assess the warehouse activities at Pharma Co. and identify potential inefficiencies contributing to increased operational costs. Specifically address: The flow of goods through the warehouse, including receiving, storing, picking, packing, and handling returns.

b. Develop strategies for Pharma Co. to optimize its warehouse activities and reduce operational costs. In your strategies, consider: Enhanced inventory management practices, particularly for temperature-sensitive and high-value products, conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed strategies to ensure financial feasibility.

Compensation & Benefits

1. You are an HR Manager of newly established organization i.e. ABC Pvt. Ltd. It is a manufacturing organization of readymade garments. The worth of the job decides the salary structure which will be given to employees recruited for a particular job role. Being the HR Manager, you need to explain various methods which you can use for job evaluation by giving suitable examples.

2. Ram and Rahul are two individuals working in two different organizations. Ram is paid based on number of units manufactured in a period whereas Rahul receives hike in the current year based on performance in the previous year. Identify the pay systems used by both organizations and explain other pay systems in detail. What is the utility of both pay systems as employed in both the organizations.

3. Mr. Vardhan wants to design a competitive compensation policy for its sales team.

The sales team since is responsible for the productivity and growth of organization, therefore Mr. Vardhan wants to employ a scientific and rational method to compensate the sales team. Considering above scenario, Answer the following questions.

A) Explain the rationale of designing a sales compensation plan.

B) What factors are kept in mind by HR Practitioner while designing a Sales compensation plan for Mr. Vardhan.

Industrial Relations & Labour Laws

1. ABC Textiles, a mid-sized manufacturing company, has been facing disputes between its management and workers over issues like wages, working conditions, and overtime policies. The workers' union has requested a meeting to discuss and resolve these disputes through collective bargaining. The management, however, is hesitant, citing concerns over transparency and control.

As the newly appointed HR Consultant at ABC Textiles, propose a structured framework for resolving disputes between management and workers over wages, working conditions, and overtime policies through collective bargaining. Your response should include: a detailed approach to collective bargaining, key differences between collective bargaining and cooperation, conditions for successful negotiations in the Indian context, and an outline of roles and responsibilities for negotiation teams.

2. Priya, a manager at a manufacturing company, informs her employer about her pregnancy and requests maternity leave benefits under the Maternity Benefit Act. However, the employer refuses, citing a lack of clarity on the conditions of payment and claiming that her recent absenteeism disqualifies her. Priya argues that she meets all the conditions stipulated by the Act.

Analyze the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act concerning conditions of payment, prohibition of employment, and maternity benefits, discuss how the objects of the Act and key definitions apply to Priya's case, and recommend a course of action for her to assert her rights and ensure compliance by her employer.

3a. XYZ Manufacturing employs a significant number of daily-wage workers. Recently, during a compliance audit, it was discovered that certain workers were being paid less than the minimum wage prescribed by the state government. The management claims this was due to a lack of clarity on minimum wage laws.

As the HR Compliance Officer, explain the obligations of an employer under the Minimum Wages Act to ensure compliance and outline the penalties for non-compliance with the Act.

3b. A worker at ABC Construction suffered a severe injury while operating machinery on-site. The management argues that they are not liable to provide compensation as the worker did not follow safety instructions. However, the worker claims the injury occurred due to faulty equipment provided by the employer.

As a legal advisor, evaluate whether the employer is liable under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, for a worker's injury caused by machinery on-site, considering the worker's claim of faulty equipment and the employer's defense of non-compliance with safety instructions. Additionally, discuss the relevance of the 2009 amendments to the Act in this context.

Manpower Planning, Recruitment and Selection

1. Establishing a solid manpower planning process ensures steady supply of talented professionals for essential profiles. As a Manpower Planning Strategist, analyse the various steps involved in this process which would help an IT firm hire and place the best talents from the industry. Add relevant examples.

2. Labour stocktaking helps HR managers work proactively during the hiring season to lineup relevant employees as per the organisational requirements. In this context, evaluate the different benefits of labour stocktaking in a manufacturing firm. Add suitable examples.

3. The CEO of Sky-High Aviation is worried about employee attrition. You have been hired as the HR Consultant for the firm. In this context, answer the following:

a. Evaluate various qualitative methods for demand forecasting and justify which one do you think is the best. Add examples

b. Analyze the different statistical methods under quantitative techniques for manpower forecasting. Justify the best method according to you. Add examples.

Organisation Culture

1. Understanding Schein’s Model of Organisational Culture

Critically evaluate Edgar Schein’s three levels of organisational culture (artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions). How do these levels interact to shape an organisation's culture? Use examples from organisations to illustrate your answer.

2. Application of Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions in Global Organisations

Examine how Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (such as power distance, individualism vs collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance) influence workplace behaviours and management practices in multinational organisations. Provide examples to highlight the implications of these dimensions on cross-cultural management.

3. Global Connect: Cultural Transformation in the Telecom Sector

GlobalConnect, a leading telecom provider in South Asia, has built its reputation on offering reliable network services and innovative customer solutions. However, in recent years, the company has faced significant challenges, including high employee turnover, stagnant market innovation, and declining employee engagement. These issues have been further compounded by the hyper-competitive telecom market, characterised by aggressive pricing strategies, rapid technological advancements, and shifting consumer expectations. Adding to the complexity, the organisation recently experienced a leadership transition, with key talent moving to competitors. Simultaneously, regulatory challenges, including massive default fines, have further strained the company’s resources and strategic focus.

In response to these multifaceted challenges, GlobalConnect’s leadership embarked on a cultural transformation journey aimed at revitalising its organisational culture and ensuring long-term growth. The transformation focused on fostering innovation, enhancing employee engagement, and embracing sustainability. Among the initiatives implemented, flexible work policies were introduced to improve employee well-being. By adopting hybrid work models and flexible scheduling, the company aimed to reduce burnout and enhance work-life balance, creating a more satisfied and motivated workforce.

To reignite creativity and stay ahead of market trends, GlobalConnect established innovation hubs within its major business units. These hubs provided employees with the resources and mentorship needed to propose and develop new telecom solutions, promoting a culture of experimentation and continuous learning. Simultaneously, the company undertook a core value redefinition to align with current workforce expectations and industry needs. The revised values emphasised collaboration, customer-centric innovation, and a commitment to environmental sustainability, forming the foundation for the company’s strategic and operational decisions.

Recognising the pivotal role of leadership, GlobalConnect launched a leadership development programme focused on building emotional intelligence and empathetic management skills. This initiative aimed to equip managers to foster trust, open communication, and team cohesion in an increasingly dynamic and demanding environment. Additionally, the company introduced transparent feedback mechanisms, including regular feedback sessions and a platform for employees to voice their ideas and concerns. This was designed to create a culture of openness and inclusivity, enabling continuous improvement and greater employee alignment with organisational goals.

To boost morale and enhance engagement, GlobalConnect implemented a comprehensive recognition and rewards programme. This initiative celebrated individual and team achievements in areas such as innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability, reinforcing the value of each employee’s contributions. These efforts were critical in addressing the immediate challenges faced by the organisation while laying the groundwork for a resilient and adaptable organisational culture capable of thriving in South Asia’s dynamic telecom market.

Through these strategic initiatives, GlobalConnect sought to mitigate the impact of external pressures and internal disruptions, turning its cultural transformation into a cornerstone for sustainable success. The leadership’s ability to navigate these challenges while maintaining focus on innovation, engagement, and compliance will determine the company’s ability to reclaim its competitive edge and drive future growth in the telecom industry.

3.a. Considering GlobalConnect's comprehensive initiatives to revitalise its organisational culture amidst challenges such as high employee turnover, reduced innovation, declining engagement, leadership transitions, and regulatory pressures, propose a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can effectively measure the success of these cultural interventions. How would these KPIs reflect improvements in employee well-being, innovation, and organisational adaptability?

3.b. How should the proposed KPIs for GlobalConnect’s cultural transformation be aligned with its long-term strategic objectives to address critical issues such as sustaining organisational growth, nurturing employee engagement, improving innovation, and ensuring compliance in a highly regulated and competitive telecom market? Illustrate how these KPIs can balance immediate operational needs with enduring organisational priorities.

Performance Management System

1. “Studio” is a premium brand dealing with men and women’s apparel, shoes, bags and other accessories. The brand was launched in India one year ago and will now enter the Middle East countries. The brand is available at exclusive Studio Stores and also malls and also online shopping. Prepare a Balanced Scorecard for the Department Head at “Studio” covering one goal each in Financial, Customer, Business Process and Learning & Growth quadrant.

2. “Talent Star” is a recruitment agency and provides candidates to companies across different industries in India. The company is 5 years old and has 100 recruitment executives who source candidates and help meet the hiring and talent acquisition requirements of industries across India. Prepare an appraisal form using the graphic rating scale for the position of “Recruitment Executive” in “Talent Star”.

3. “Health India” is a 2-year-old company based at Mumbai which focuses on organic foods and wellness products. The company has 250 employees and is looking to grow with entry to USA and Canada markets. They have recently introduced Performance Appraisal process in the company. You are the HR Manager and need to set goals for your team.

Using the concept of SMART Goals, you need to prepare 2 goals each for the following:

a. Training Manager.

b. Hiring Manager.

Cloud Computing

1. You’ve been invited by the Government of Cameroon to advise on deployment of cloud for their e-governance services. The Government is very keen to reduce the total cost of ownership and increase scalability of its e-governance infrastructure. As such, it is evaluating the use of cloud and the right choice for the deployment model. You have been asked to provide a brief report explaining pros and cons of each cloud deployment model for e-governance systems in Cameroon.

2. Amigo Software is a young and rapidly growing Software Products Firm – and they’re developing products such as HRAmigo, AccountsAmigo, etc. Amigo currently operates in a bootstrapped mode – i.e., money is very tight. As the CTO, you’re trying to decide the company’s Cloud Strategy, which should provide platform flexibility to the developers in the various Product Teams who are developing Cloud-Native Apps, for a rapid Go-to- market product deployment. Specifically, you are evaluating.

a. What Cloud Services to opt for – i.e., IaaS, PaaS &/or SaaS?

b. Which Cloud Service Providers would be ideal – i.e., AWS, Azure, or GAE? Prepare an Approach Document to serve as the basis of an Executive Meeting with the CEO & CFO to discuss this initiative. You may get more details by visiting the web site of these firms or you can make your own assumptions.

3. The Top Management of Sunset Years Gericare is meeting to discuss their plan for a New Patient Records Management Solution. Both the COO, Arvind Kothari and the CFO, Daisy Chacko are of the strong opinion that the company should develop and implement a Custom On-Premise Patient Records Management Solution to be developed by a Top5 IT Firm. On the other hand, Vijay Melanathuru, the CIO is keen to move to a popular SaaS-based Patient Records Management Product. The debate is getting heated as Ms. Chacko recalled past IT system implementation failures.

a. What arguments can Ms. Chacko make in favor of opting for an in-house Custom On-Premise Patient Records Management Solution?

b. What arguments can Mr. Melanathuru make in favor of a SaaS-based Patient Records Management Product?

Emerging Technologies: IoT, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality

1. The government of a developing nation has initiated a smart city project aimed at improving urban living through integrated technologies. These include smart traffic systems, waste management solutions, connected public utilities, and advanced surveillance networks. While the project has garnered praise for its potential to enhance efficiency and sustainability, data privacy and cybersecurity concerns have emerged. The centralized nature of data collection and real-time monitoring exposes the system to risks such as unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and misuse of personal information. Citizens are wary of how their data is collected, stored, and used, questioning whether sufficient safeguards are in place. What strategies can governments adopt to address the security and privacy challenges in smart cities while ensuring efficient service delivery and public trust? Discuss the role of robust data governance frameworks, advanced cybersecurity measures, and citizen awareness programs in mitigating these risks.

2. A leading healthcare provider has begun integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into its operations to enhance patient care and improve medical training. AR applications include virtual overlays during surgeries to visualize internal organs, real-time guidance for minimally invasive procedures, and interactive 3D anatomical models for patient education. Additionally, AR is used in physical therapy by gamifying exercises to boost patient engagement and recovery rates. Despite these advancements, challenges such as high implementation costs, technical complexity, and limited user training have emerged. There are also concerns about the reliability of AR systems in critical medical scenarios and their acceptance among healthcare professionals and patients. How can healthcare organizations effectively integrate AR into their practices to maximize its potential benefits while addressing challenges such as cost, reliability, and user adoption? Discuss the role of investment in technology, training, and stakeholder collaboration in achieving successful AR implementation in healthcare.

3. A prestigious educational institution has introduced Virtual Reality (VR) technology in its classrooms to enhance the learning experience. VR applications are used in subjects such as history, where students can immerse themselves in historical events, and in medical education, where future doctors can simulate surgeries and complex medical procedures. The institution has seen initial positive reactions from students, citing VR's engaging and interactive nature. However, challenges such as the high cost of equipment, the need for technical support, and the risk of students becoming too absorbed in the virtual world have emerged.

a) How can educational institutions balance the benefits of VR technology with the challenges of cost and technical support?

b) What measures should be taken to ensure that VR is used effectively for educational purposes without overwhelming students or detracting from traditional learning methods?

Fundamentals of Big Data & Business Analytics

Q1. On Christmas Eve in 2024, American Airlines faced a significant disruption, grounding all flights on a critical travel day. Discuss how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics can help the airline normalize operations in the aftermath and prevent similar incidents in the future. Highlight specific analytical approaches to optimize resource allocation, identify potential risks, and enhance operational resilience. Explain how leveraging historical data, real-time monitoring, and forecasting techniques can improve decision-making during such crises.

Q2. The fast fashion industry deals with massive and complex datasets originating from multiple sources, such as social media, e-commerce platforms, manufacturing units, and supply chain systems. These datasets are generated at high velocity and in various formats. Discuss how organizations in the fast fashion industry can effectively manage and process this data using big data technologies. Highlight the role of distributed storage systems, stream processing tools, and machine learning techniques in deriving actionable insights from this data. Suggest a framework for integrating structured and unstructured data to optimize inventory, predict trends, and enhance sustainability efforts.

Q3a. Governments strive to reduce income inequality between urban and rural regions. Suggest the types of datasets required to analyze historical trends and disparities. Explain how descriptive analytics can be used to understand regional inequalities and discuss how data visualization tools or techniques can effectively communicate these insights to policymakers.

b. The Mumbai city police department is investigating a series of burglaries reported in different neighborhoods over the past six months. They have collected the following data:

Crime Locations: GPS coordinates of burglary incidents, along with timestamps.
Suspect Profiles: Witness descriptions, behavioral patterns, and prior criminal records.
Social Media Activity: Posts and discussions in local community groups about suspicious activities.
Environmental Factors: Weather conditions, lighting, and proximity to high- traffic areas during incidents.
Neighborhood Metrics: Demographics, foot traffic, and socioeconomic data for the affected areas.

Please propose ways to use social media activity to uncover potential suspects or accomplices. Additionally, suggest predictive analytics techniques to forecast future burglary hotspots and recommend proactive measures for crime prevention. Outline the visualizations that would best support your analysis and assist the police in their investigation.

IT Infrastructure Management

1. You have been tasked with leading a training session for your IT team on enterprise-level virtualization platforms. To ensure the team understands the architecture and implementation details, how would you describe the core components of an enterprise-level virtualization platform and their roles? Also, what key implementation characteristics of these components would you highlight to ensure successful deployment and management?

2. Imagine you are part of a team managing the IT infrastructure for a large e-commerce platform. During a crucial sale event, your team identifies several risks. Your manager asks you to prepare a comprehensive risk management strategy by classifying the risks to determine the appropriate response strategy for each along with the tools or methods to mitigate the risks effectively.

3. NovaTech Solutions has secured a project to manage the IT infrastructure for Zenith Dynamics, a fast-growing global fintech company. The success of the project heavily depends on a well-structured IT design and a thorough understanding of client requirements. You are responsible for orienting your team to ensure effective execution of this critical project.

a. What are the core components that lay the foundation for designing a robust IT infrastructure in an organization?

b. Outline the process of requirement gathering and analysis that you would recommend your team adopt to ensure all client needs are effectively captured and addressed.

IT Project Management

1. Explain the need for effective Project Management in IT, detailing how project management helps in meeting deadlines, staying within budget, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes.

2. Explain the concept of the Project Charter. What are its key components, and what purpose does it serve in the initiation phase of the project? How does the Project Charter formally authorize the project and outline the project's objectives, scope, and stakeholders?

3. You have been assigned as the Project Manager for an IT project to develop a customized software solution for a client. The project involves a tight timeline, a significant budget, and high expectations from the client regarding both the scope and quality of deliverables. You are in the planning phase of the project and need to ensure that the project’s scope, budget, schedule, and risk management plans are carefully planned and documented to meet the client’s expectations and avoid potential project failures. Address the following aspects:

a. Detail how you will define the project scope. What are the key steps involved in defining the scope, and how will you ensure that the project’s deliverables are clearly identified and agreed upon by all stakeholders? What methods and tools might you use to ensure that the scope is well defined?

b. Explain the process you would follow to develop the project schedule. How would you define the timeline for project activities, and what tools and techniques would you use to create a realistic and achievable schedule?

Capital Market and Portfolio Management

Q1. Mr. A is looking to invest some of his savings for the future. He has two options: stocks and bonds. He decides to visit his friend Mr. B, who is an experienced investor, to ask for some advice. Mr. B said "Think of stocks like owning a piece of a company. When you buy stocks, you're actually buying a small share of that company. But bonds are like loans you give to companies or governments. When you buy a bond, you're lending them money, and they promise to pay you back with interest over a set period. From investment adviser’s point of view how will you differentiate stock & bond?

Q2. John, a new investor, is interested in putting his money into mutual funds but is worried about the risk. Suppose you are investing in mutual fund from several years, as a friend explain the different types of mutual funds that can help John in diversifying risk.

Q3a. Alpha takes in to an account the volatility of an asset & compares its risk adjusted performance to an already established benchmark index. If portfolio return is 30%, the risk-free rate is 8%, beta is 1.1, and the benchmark index return is 20% calculate alpha.

b. Arbitrage pricing theory helps investors to determine whether an asset is undervalued or overvalued. On the basis of this information investors can decide invest or not to invest. Arbitrage Pricing Theory is based on some assumption describe few of them.

Marketing of Financial Services

Q1. How does the strategic allocation of assets contribute to the overall effectiveness of Financial Planning, and what are the key considerations and benefits that individuals or organizations should keep in mind when implementing an asset allocation strategy? How come this Asset Allocation Strategy involves understanding the importance of diversification, risk management, and aligning asset with long-term financial goals? Explain the pedagogics from Financial Planner Perspective.

Q2. How do Indian commercial banks employ innovative marketing strategies to promote their financial services, and what impact does this have on consumer behavior and the broader banking industry? This includes understanding the role of digital marketing, customer segmentation, and product differentiation in enhancing the visibility and adoption of financial products. How these marketing efforts shape industry trends and consumer preferences. Ultimately, explain the paradigm highlights the critical role of marketing in the success of commercial banks in India.

Q3A. In what ways is the Indian government enhancing community welfare through the marketing of financial services at post offices and other public venues, and how does this initiative impact the broader financial inclusion landscape? This involves examining the role of government-sponsored programs and initiatives in promoting financial literacy and access to banking services.

Q3B. How the Digital Marketing plays an influential Role in Customer Relationship Management? Elaborate any 4 to 5 Distinct features of CRM Digital Marketing Cruciality / Importance for Banks & Other Institutions Financial Services Marketing.

Strategic Cost Management

1. New Era Corp., a mid-sized manufacturing company, has been struggling with inefficiencies in its budget allocations. For years, the company relied on incremental budgeting, where previous year’s expenses were carried forward with minor adjustments. Over time, this led to certain departments hoarding funds they didn’t necessarily need, while other critical areas remained underfunded.

Facing increasing competition and pressure to improve profitability, the management decided to overhaul their budgeting process. They proposed shifting to a zero-based budgeting (ZBB) system, where every expense would have to be justified from scratch for each new budgeting cycle. The finance team welcomed the opportunity to streamline spending but raised concerns about the time and resources required to implement ZBB. Department heads expressed mixed reactions—some saw it as a chance to highlight their real needs, while others worried about the effort involved in preparing detailed justifications for every cost. After a six-month trial run with ZBB, the company observed some significant changes. Now, the management must decide whether to fully adopt ZBB across the organization or return to the traditional budgeting approach. What are the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a zero-based budgeting system as observed in this case?

2. Mindset Ltd., a manufacturing company producing Product A and Product B, is facing challenges in accurately allocating overhead costs using the traditional costing system. To address this, the management has decided to implement an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) system to ensure a fair allocation of costs and better decision-making. The following data is available:

Overhead Costs and Activity Drivers:

Activity	Total Overhead Cost	Activity Driver	Total Activity
Machine Setup	₹50,000	Number of setups	100 setups
Quality Inspection	₹60,000	Number of inspections	120 inspections
Material Handling	₹40,000	Number of material movements	80 movements

Activity Driver Usage by Products:

Activity Driver	Product A	Product B
Number of setups	60 setups	40 setups
Number of inspections	80 inspections	40 inspections
Number of material movements	50 movements	30 movements

Allocate overhead costs to Product A and Product B using activity-based costing. Calculate the overhead cost per unit for each product if units produced of product A are 1000 and that of product B are 500. What insights do the results share?

3. Delta Ltd. is a mid-sized manufacturing company specializing in high-quality kitchen appliances. Their flagship product, the ‘SmartCook Pro’, is gaining popularity, but the management team is concerned about fluctuating profit margins due to rising raw material costs and competitive pricing pressures.

To address these challenges, DEF Ltd. wants to use Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) analysis to better understand the relationship between their costs, production volume, and profit. They need insights into the breakeven point, the sales volume required to meet a target profit, and how changes in variable costs or selling prices might impact their financial performance. The company has set a selling price of ₹2,000 per unit, incurs variable costs of ₹1,200 per unit, and has total fixed costs of ₹8,00,000.

The management also plans to introduce a discount strategy, reducing the selling price to ₹1,800 per unit to boost sales, and they wish to evaluate its impact on profitability. Using CVP analysis, they aim to make informed decisions on production levels and pricing strategies.

a. Based on the current pricing strategy, calculate the breakeven point in units. What is break-even analysis and what does these number of units signify?

b. If Delta Ltd. reduces the selling price to ₹1,800 per unit to achieve a target profit of ₹4,00,000, calculate the number of units they need to sell?

Taxation Direct and Indirect

1. Mr. Narayan, a businessman, purchased a house property on 1.5.1978 for Rs. 1,12,000. He incurred the following expenses for making some additions and alterations to the house property:

Construction cost of first floor, incurred in 1984-85, for Rs. 2,95,000.

Construction cost of second floor, incurred in 2003-04, for Rs. 8,05,000. Renovation expenses of the building, incurred in 2013-14, for Rs. 5,11,000.

The fair market value of the property as on 1.4.2001 is Rs. 9,40,000. This house property was sold by Mr. Narayan on 11.8.2018 for Rs.77,00,000 after incurring expenses of Rs. 40,000 on the transfer.

The capital gains on such transfer are calculated as follows:

Financial Year (FY)	Cost Inflation Index (CII)
2001-02	100
2003-04	105
2013-14	200
2018-19	280
2019-20	289
2020-21	301

2. Section 28 is the charging section of profits and gains of business or profession. You are required to list and explain those 10 items of income which are chargeable to tax under the head ‘Profits and Gains of Business or Profession’.

3.(a) When an organization decides to retrench certain workforce, the workmen are entitled to retrenchment compensation at the time of their retrenchment. You are required to explain the taxability of such Retrenchment Compensation.

3.(b): Different rates of TDS are prescribed for different items depending on the type of payment. You are required to list down 5 of these types of payment along with the relevant section and the rate of TDS.

Commercial Banking System & Role of RBI

1. "The faster the economy grows, the higher the capital formation." Examine how important capital development is to economic growth in this scenario.

2. How does the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) carry out strategic monitoring and regulation through a variety of roles to ensure stability, direction, and sustainable development?

3. a) The medium-sized business ABC Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd. intends to increase its production capacity in order to satisfy the rising demand in the market. The business requested financial support from Sunshine Bank, a well-known commercial bank. ABC Manufacturing was able to successfully expand its operations with the bank's assistance. In light of this situation, examine How commercial banks' operations support economic expansion.

b) A big order has come in from a corporate client for Meera's tiny furniture manufacturing company. She lacks the money, meanwhile, to pay her employees and purchase supplies. She asks Pioneer Bank for help in order to resolve this. In light of this situation, examine how Meera may be supported by commercial banks?

Retail Banking

1. ‘In economies like India, retail banks are thought to be crucial for financial intermediation, which facilitates economic activity’. Analyse the statement.

2. Use any Indian retail bank to assist you in critically analysing the idea of a banking balance sheet.

3. a) Financial regulation is very imperative since it guarantees that the risk inherent to the financial market and financial institutions is mitigated. Give a rationalization.

b) A young businessman named Mr. Ravi went to XYZ Bank to create a current account for his new company. He asked for guidance on a range of banking services and products while he was there. Ms. Priya underlined how crucial it is to keep a solid rapport with the bank in order to receive specialized services and advice. Taking into account the facts mentioned before. Talk about the importance of a banker-customer connection in guaranteeing reciprocal advantages The importance of a banker-customer connection in guaranteeing reciprocal advantages.

Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk

Q1. Prepare and submit an Executive Summary of the Code of Conduct of a listed company selected from the BSE database of ‘Top 100 companies by market capitalization’. Ensure that you include all the key parameters covered in the code of conduct policy document. You must mention the name of the company in the introduction. Conclude the summary by explaining in your own words how and why the Code of Conduct is an important ethical guideline/tool for all the stakeholders of the company. DO NOT copy paste.

Q2. Prepare a concise report in your own words showcasing how the listed company you have selected (same as in Q1) is respecting and promoting the wellbeing of all employees including those in its value chain with a special focus on diversity & inclusion related issues and their management/mitigation. Scan the complete Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report 2023-24 to compile and collate information required for your report. Remember to mention the name of the selected company in introduction. DO NOT copy paste.

Q3. You have just completed learning Business: Ethics, Corporate Governance & Risk in a structured format for the first time.

a. What do you think is the fundamental role of ethics in business and why do you think it is important for managers, professionals and leaders to understand business ethics?

b. Share five practical key learnings that you have acquired through the study of this subject that you think will help you better understand your role and thus contribute to your responsibilities more meaningfully, irrespective of the type of your business, department and designation.

Insurance & Risk Management

Q1. Mr. Rahul, a small business owner, is seeking coverage to protect his growing enterprise from unforeseen events. While he understands the importance of life insurance, he is also curious about other types of insurance policies that can safeguard his business and assets. His friend, who works as an insurance advisor, informs him about various non-life insurance options that are vital for protecting his business operations, property, and employees. Besides life insurance, explain the typical types of insurance policies that can help Mr. Rahul secure his business and assets. Include details on how these policies serve to protect against different types of risks.

Q2. Mr. Manohar, a married man with two children, has recently undergone a surgery, which has made him more concerned about his family’s financial security in the event of his untimely death. In order to ensure his family’s well-being, he decides to meet his close friend, who is an insurance advisor, to gain a better understanding of life insurance policies and the benefits they offer. Mr. Manohar wants to know how a life insurance policy can provide financial protection to his dependents and help secure their future. Could you explain to Mr. Manohar the need for life insurance and how it can benefit his family?

Q3 a. Imagine Mr. Rajesh is purchasing a health insurance policy for his family. During the application process, he provides all the required details about his medical history and lifestyle. However, after a few years, he faces a serious health issue and files a claim. The insurance company, during the claim investigation, discovers that Rajesh had not disclosed certain medical conditions while applying for the policy. The insurer rejects his claim, citing nondisclosure of important facts in the proposal form. What is your understanding of the statement "Insurance is given on the trust, based on the facts mentioned in the proposal form"? How does this principle relate to the basic principles of insurance, such as utmost good faith and disclosure?

Q3 b. Mr. Rahul is forty years old, and works in the Private Sector. He feels it is still too early to worry about old age, and does not have a systematic investment plan. His focus is very much on the quality of life at present. As his financial planner, discuss the types of risks he will face post-retirement.

Treasury Management in Banking

Q1. Traditionally, only Central Banks or major Commercial Banks like SBI etc. had the strength of providing Treasury products & services. Now even smaller banks duly authorized by RBI & large Corporates are providing Forex, MM and Derivative products to various market participants. Enumerate and describe the purposes for which a Banks/Corporate Treasury exists and allows online business thru CCIL's FX Retail platform.

Q2. Explain with example, how the Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL) provides the platform for Trading and settlement of various Forex, MM & Derivative Products with the Trading members and RBI.

Q3. "A prudent liquidity/Cash management ensures bank's solvency, profitability and overall stability/growth in an economy"

a. Discuss The impact on liquidity and inflation when CRR increases and reduces respectively.

b. Highlight the differences between Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio & its impact on banks profitability.

International Banking & Foreign Exchange Management

1. Suppose you are an intern at a leading financial company. A new client needs information on the workings of the foreign exchange market. Prepare a summary of the different types of players in the foreign exchange market and the nature of their transactions in the market.

2. Mr. Mudit has recently shifted to the US to work and stay there for the long run. He would still like to hold a bank account in India. What options does he have in this regard? Discuss in detail the features of different accounts he may open and maintain.

3a. Mr. Manoj Joshi is a diamond merchant in Surat. He is planning to expand his business overseas and in turn will need to export finished diamond jewelry while importing rough cut diamonds. Explain to him how he can utilize the services of a bank to help in his transactions.

3b. Sumit is your cousin who is studying in the MBA program. He is applying to various international organizations as part of his job search. Explain to him about the World Bank and its work across the countries.

Research Methodology

Q1. India's jewellery market is predominantly split into two sectors: organized and unorganized retail. The organized sector is led by major players like Titan (Tanishq), Kalyan Jewellers, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, and PC Jeweller. These brands offer standardized products, assured quality, branded offerings, and a reliable shopping experience. The unorganized sector, on the other hand, includes small, family-owned jewellers, local goldsmiths, and regional jewellery shops that often offer custom-made or traditional jewellery at competitive prices.

Explain the research process to study consumer behaviour for organized versus unorganized jewellery retail in India. What is the key determining factors influencing consumer behaviour, and how would you conduct a comparative analysis between the two market segments?

Q2. Explain the experimental design used in studying consumer behaviour at Shoppers Stop. Discuss the concepts of internal and external validity, hypothesis formation, and the application of different experimental designs. How can simulations and ethical considerations be applied in experimental research for a retail company like Shoppers Stop?

Q3. In the digital age, apparel companies in India face intense competition and changing consumer preferences. With the growing influence of e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, and social media, building and maintaining brand loyalty has become more challenging. As customers increasingly engage with brands through digital channels, apparel companies must adapt by offering personalized experiences, seamless omni-channel strategies, and consistent value. The problem lies in identifying the most effective strategies that apparel companies can use to foster brand loyalty in a digital-first environment.

a. Which research method can be applicable for this research. What are the objectives of the study?

b. Develop a questionnaire for this study.

International Finance

1. When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducts a comprehensive analysis of a specific economy, why does the Balance of Payments (BOP) often emerge as a crucial component? How does the paradigm shift when viewed from the perspective of the Current Account, and what role does the Capital Account play in this context? Explain the significance of these accounts in understanding the overall economic health and stability of the country.

2. In the context of international finance, how does the concept of Interest Rate Parity (IRP) influence the exchange rates between two currencies? What are the key mechanisms through which IRP affects the economic interactions and financial stability of two interconnected economies? How does this parity help in maintaining equilibrium in foreign exchange markets? Explain the implications of IRP on the exchange rate dynamics between these economies.

3a. In the realm of international trade, what significance does an Export Earners' Foreign Currency (EEFC) account hold for global traders? How does the existence of an EEFC account facilitate the retention of foreign exchange earnings without converting them into the domestic currency? What are the key benefits and implications of this account for exporters in managing their foreign exchange reserves? Explain the role of EEFC accounts in enhancing trade efficiency and financial flexibility.

b. In the context of foreign exchange management, how does Translation Risk emerge as a critical component of forex risks? What are the underlying factors that contribute to Translation Risk, and how does it impact financial statements and asset values? How do fluctuations in exchange rates exacerbate this risk for multinational corporations? Explain the significance of Translation Risk in the broader spectrum of forex risk management.

Financial Institutions and Markets

Q1. Mr. Arjun is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ABC Bank, a leading private sector bank. Recently, the banking sector has been grappling with increasing non-performing assets (NPAs) and financial instability. ABC Bank is also expected to release its quarterly financial results in the coming weeks, which indicate a significant rise in NPAs. Mr. Arjun, being privy to sensitive financial data, shares this information with a close associate, who then liquidates their significant holdings in the bank's stocks to avoid losses from the anticipated market reaction. Upon investigation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) uncovers the violation and penalizes both Mr. Arjun and his associate for breaching ethical and legal standards under banking regulations.

In light of the above case, explain the importance of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and discuss its key functions in regulating and supervising the banking and financial sectors.

Q2. Mr. Ajay, a risk-averse investor, is considering Treasury Bills (T-bills) as a secure financial asset that offers guaranteed returns. However, he is unfamiliar with the details of this instrument. Could you explain Mr. Ajay about the Treasury Bills, Its features and functions in detail. Also, explain how T-bills contribute to economic stability.

Q3a. Mr. Ravi, working in the portfolio management department of Alpha Ltd., was tasked with training new recruits about the risks inherent in the financial market. Recognizing the importance of understanding both returns and risks, he decided to broadly classify risks into two categories and explain each type to the trainees. As part of the session, he focused on systematic risk and its various types. If you were Mr. Ravi, how would you explain the different types of risks associated with systematic risk?

Q3b. Illustrate one real-world example of unsystematic risk, explaining its cause, impact on the company, and how it could have been mitigated through diversification.

Strategic Financial Management

Q1. You are the Chief Financial Officer of a mid-sized manufacturing company that has consistently generated stable profits over the past five years. Recently, the board of directors is considering a change in the company's dividend policy to enhance shareholder satisfaction while ensuring sufficient funds for future growth. Analyse the potential impacts of adopting a stable dividend payout ratio policy versus a residual dividend policy.

Q2. Using the binomial model, calculate the value of a European call option with the following parameters: a stock currently priced at INR 100, It is known that in the first 6 months of current year from now prices will either move up to by 10% or go down by 10%, a strike price of INR 110, and a risk-free interest rate of 5%. Assume the option expires in one year. Calculate showing all the step in tabular format.

Q3a. A large pharmaceutical company, Pharma Corp, is considering acquiring a smaller biotech firm, Bio Tech Innovations, which has developed a promising new drug that is currently in the clinical trial phase. The management believes that the acquisition could create significant synergies. Identify and explain the types of synergies that could result from this acquisition.

Q3b. Young Ltd pays INR 8 as annual preference dividends and has a required rate of return of 12%. Compute the market price of the preference shares of Young Ltd? Additionally, explain the concept of preference shares.

Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Management

1. You are an entrepreneur planning to set up a boutique clothing store in Pune with an estimated capital requirement of ₹25 lakhs. Prepare a loan proposal to present to a bank.

2. Draft an executive summary for a business plan of a startup offering eco-friendly packaging solutions.

3. Exiting the Venture is an integral part of the entrepreneurial journey. It’s important for startup to have a clear exit strategy.

a) Critically analyze the importance of having a well-defined exit strategy for startups. Discuss how such strategies influence decision-making and long-term goals. Use real Indian startup examples, such as Flipkart, BigBasket, or Snapdeal, to support your answer.

b) Evaluate two exit strategies commonly used by startups in India. Compare these strategies using real scenarios, such as Flipkart's acquisition by Walmart and Zomato's IPO.

Employee Development and Talent Management

1. Rajesh, a seasoned executive at a textile firm, faces a performance slump. His manager, concerned, explores various employee development programs. The manager then decides to use on-the-job training for Rajesh. The manager must decide the best approach to re-energize Rajesh, considering his experience and potential. Analyze the suitability of different employee development programs for Rajesh's situation, considering his experience and the need to revitalize his performance.

2. Software company in Bangalore is looking to fill a senior management position. The company is considering internal talent acquisition techniques to identify suitable candidates from its existing workforce. Evaluate the suitability of different internal talent acquisition techniques for filling a senior management position in the software company context.

3. A young engineer, Priya, joined a tech startup in Bangalore after graduating. Initially enthusiastic, she faced challenges and learned from early mistakes. After 5 years, feeling stagnant, she pursued further education to enhance her skills and secure a leadership role. Please answer the questions below in context of the case given.

a) How do the Exploration and Establishment stages contribute to an individual's career development?

b) What challenges might an individual face during the Maintenance stage, and how can they overcome these challenges to avoid stagnation?

International HR Practices

Q1) XYZ Multinational Corporation is an IT company headquartered in the United States with operations across 15 countries. The company often sends its employees on international assignments for 2-3 years. Recently, several employees who returned to their home country after completing their assignments reported challenges in readjusting to the home office environment. Complaints included a lack of career progression, feeling undervalued, and difficulty in applying the skills acquired abroad. This led to an increase in employee dissatisfaction, turnover, and loss of organizational knowledge.

The HR team is now tasked with designing a Repatriation Programme to address these issues and improve the reintegration experience for returning employees.

Questions:

What are the key challenges XYZ Corporation faces in managing the repatriation process, and how can it design an effective repatriation programme to ensure smooth reintegration, retention of repatriated employees, and alignment with organizational goals, including methods for evaluating its effectiveness?

Q2) XYZ Corporation, a multinational company headquartered in the United States, operates in 15 countries, employing a culturally diverse workforce. The company recently implemented a unified performance management system across all locations. However, regional managers have raised concerns about the system's applicability due to cultural differences in performance expectations, feedback mechanisms, and evaluation criteria.

As part of its performance cycle, XYZ Corporation has established the following phases: goal-setting, performance monitoring, feedback and coaching, and annual appraisals. In its first year of implementation, the following issues were observed:

1. Employees in some regions were hesitant to set ambitious goals due to fear of penalties for underperformance.

2. Feedback sessions were either too formal or lacked clarity in communication, leading to misinterpretations.

3. The appraisal process did not account for local performance metrics, which are significant for evaluating employee contributions.

Question: Based on the case scenario, analyze the challenges XYZ Corporation faces in implementing an international performance management system. Propose a revised performance cycle that addresses these challenges, ensuring cultural inclusivity and alignment with global objectives. Your answer should include:

1. Challenges identified in the case

2. Key modifications to the performance cycle phase

3. Expected benefits of the revised system

Q3 (A) ABC Tech Solutions, a mid-sized IT company, is facing challenges with its newly implemented software tools. Employees are struggling to adapt, which has caused delays in project timelines. The management decides to conduct a series of training programs to address this issue. However, feedback from employees indicates that the training sessions are too theoretical, lacking practical relevance to their day-to-day tasks.

Question:

As a training consultant, analyze the issue faced by ABC Tech Solutions and propose two practical solutions to make the training programs more effective. Justify how these solutions would enhance the learning outcomes.

Q3 (B) GlobalConnect, a multinational corporation, is sending a team of employees from its headquarters in Canada to set up a new office in Japan. The team has limited exposure to Japanese business practices and work culture. To prepare them for the assignment, GlobalConnect is considering a pre-departure training program.

Question:

Suggest two components that should be included in the pre-departure training program to ensure the team’s success in Japan. Explain how these components would help the employees adapt effectively to the new environment.

Strategic HRM

1. As the assistant to the HR manager at a banking firm, one of your responsibilities is to assist managers in preparing for candidate interviews. During a discussion with a manager, you both agree on the importance of transforming the selection process into a strategic and structured approach. The goal is to focus not just on eliminating unsuitable candidates but also on identifying and selecting the most qualified individual from the applicant pool. Together, you and the manager decide to outline a well-defined selection process to ensure optimal hiring decisions. What key steps should be included in the selection process to ensure it is fair, objective, and aligned with the organization's goals?

2. As the HR head of a small IT organization, one of your top web developers requests a one- on-one meeting and shares that she feels there is no career growth for her in the organization. She reveals her intention to leave as soon as she secures another job. Recognizing her value and the critical role she plays in the team, you realize the organization cannot afford to lose her. Additionally, you suspect that other employees may share similar sentiments, prompting the need for immediate action. How would you design and implement effective retention strategies to address these concerns and foster long-term employee engagement in your IT firm?

3. As a Senior HR Executive with extensive experience in employee management, you have just concluded a meeting with Mr. Rajesh, one of your six team members, who shared some troubling information. He feels that he is being bullied by a colleague, Mr. Ravi, and is seeking your guidance on how to handle the situation.

Mr. Rajesh explained that Mr. Ravi greets everyone else in the office with a cheerful "good morning" but pointedly ignores him. He also mentioned that Mr. Ravi organized a farewell lunch for a departing employee last week but excluded Mr. Rajesh from the event. Additionally, Mr. Rajesh revealed that Mr. Ravi has been making derogatory remarks about him to other colleagues. For example, after a chance meeting at a grocery store, Mr. Ravi shared details about the medications in Mr. Rajesh's shopping cart, including those for a private medical condition, with the entire office.

Mr. Rajesh also showed you an email sent by Mr. Ravi to the department, blaming Mr. Rajesh for the loss of one of his key clients. This has led other colleagues to distance themselves from Mr. Rajesh on collaborative projects. Clearly upset, Mr. Rajesh left your office seeking reassurance and resolution. You recognize the need to address the situation promptly.

Questions:

a. How would you manage this situation to involve employees and foster positive relations between Mr. Rajesh and Mr. Ravi?

b. What proactive industrial relations policies should the organization implement to prevent and address such issues effectively?

Digital Marketing

Marketing Research

1. You are the Marketing Director of Gharonda Constructions in Delhi NCR. Your company wants to conduct market research to assess customer needs and preferences. Prepare a research plan – Mentioning the Target Group, Priority Markets, and Research Hypotheses in the plan along with the Success Criteria for your research.

2. Define the Target Group for Aishwarya Homes, a Property Developer in Chennai. Analyze the major infrastructure initiatives in Chennai (the Chennai Metro Rail, the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, Elevated Corridors, etc.) and their impact on the Chennai Real Estate market. What are the Opportunities for the Company? What are the Risks and how can they mitigate against these?

3. You’re the CMO for an Indian Automotive Major. Your company is planning the Pan- India launch of a new Product Family of Electric Two-Wheelers targeted at the entire family. As a first step, you’ve decided to conduct Market Research to help focus your MarketingPlan.

a. As part of your Market Research, describe your preferred sampling technique(s) and why you’ve chosen it(these).

b. Describe (at least) Five (5) Secondary Sources which you can leverage and as well, the reasons for selecting them.

Services Marketing

1. There are various salons in your city and in the future, you intend to open a salon. The problem is that all of them offer similar kinds of services. In such a case, you'll need to make sure you differentiate your service offerings. Analyse and present the approach or the steps which should help you in creating differentiation for your processes, people and physical evidence.

2. You play the guitar. Your friends have been suggesting, that to start with your music classes. You also intend to offer other music and hobby classes by inviting experts. Considering that you plan to start your guitar classes, explain how would you apply the 7Ps used in Service Marketing in the given scenario which should also help you in an effective strategy formulation.

3. You have started a home cooked meal service. However, reaching out to people is a big challenge considering your limited marketing budget.

a. How will you build a service brand with your limited budgets?

b. How will attract your first set of customers?

Advanced Supply Chain Management

Q1. Frito-Lay has over three dozen brands of snacks and chips, 15 of which sell more than $100 million annually each, and 7 of which sell over $1 billion each. Its brands include Fritos, Lay's, Doritos, Sun Chips, Cheetos, Tostitos, Flat Earth, and Ruffles. Frito-Lay relies on effective AGGREGATE PLANNING to match fluctuating multi- billion-dollar demand to capacity in its 36 North American plants. Planning for the intermediate term (3 to 18 months) is the heart of aggregate planning.

a) Explain the two (2) Generic Aggregate Planning Strategies and the Pros & Cons of each of these strategies.

b) Explain the key steps in Aggregate Capacity Planning.

Q2. Aeolus Wind Energy, an international wind turbine manufacturer is facing ongoing challenges with timely supply of crucial components for its production, causing frequent disruptions. Despite extensive internal efforts to address the issue, production delays and cost escalations keep occurring due to last-minute rescheduling and procurement. The lack of delivery reliability is leading to dissatisfied customers and contractual penalties, significantly impacting the company.

Willem van Hoff, the COO has undertaken a major review and revamp of the company’s Global Supply Chain. Discuss the factors that the COO needs to consider while redesigning the company’s global supply chain network.

Q.3. Clothes Horse Fashions specializes in the manufacture and sale of ready-made clothing, primarily focusing on designer dresses and sportswear. With a global network of sales agents responsible for their respective geographic regions, the company is experiencing explosive growth. However, the company is currently facing intense pressure to continually enhance its supply chain performance in order to maintain its competitive edge.

To address this challenge, Jack Wilcox the COO is now keen to restructure their supply chain to optimize its operations and is trying to decide between implementing VMI or CPRF. While David Rakich, the SVP of Operations is in favor of adopting CPRF, the CIO, Ann Rosenthal, is leaning towards adopting VMI.

a. What is VMI? What arguments can Ann use to make the case for VMI and against CPRF?

b. What s CPRF? What arguments can David use to make the case for CPRF and against VMI.

International Logistics & Supply Chain Management

1. A leading Indian brand of packed spices (both in whole form as well as grind form) is already having a vast pan-India distribution network. They are planning its international expansion by way of exports. It has identified the USA as the first foreign market to start with. Explain the factors the manufacturer should consider while formulating its supply chain strategy for exporting to the USA market and suggest an appropriate strategy for the same.

2. “THE COLLECTIBLES” brands follow a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model for sourcing & selling accessories like watches, belts, purses, wallets, etc. for men & women. With competition from similar other D2C companies, “THE COLLECTIBLES” is looking to differentiate itself from the others based on its delivery experience. It is also looking at a superior delivery experience to provide it a source of competitive advantage. Explain, with reasons, the choice between in-house & outsourcing of logistics for “THE COLLECTIBLES” to achieve its twin objectives.

3. An international brand is interested in setting up its first India operations by importing & selling its product range comprising of internationally renowned models of premium sports shoes through both the distributor as well as retail channel.

a. Discuss the various requirements & the procedure to be followed for importing the products in the Indian market.

b. Discuss the requirements of warehousing in India for the distributor channel for the sports shoe brand? Would these be any different for the retail channel? Suggest the suitable type (or types) of warehouse.

World Class Operations

1. There is a common thread which connects Leading Manufacturers in diverse sectors such as Machinery (Caterpillar, Komatsu, JCB), Semiconductors (Intel, Motorola, Nvidia), Appliances (Samsung, Phillips, Whirlpool), etc., - They are all World Class Manufacturers (WCMs).

All WCMs are highly reputed for their unflinching commitment to Quality. These manufacturers have understood that Quality is about identifying “what is important to Customers” and delivering this to their customers. Explain how these (and other) WCMs use frameworks such as QFD and HOQ to help embed Quality into every aspect of the Product Creation – From Concept to Manufacturing.

2. Vijay Vasanthan has just joined as the GM – Maintenance at Melanathuru Tools, a leading Manufacturer of CNC Machines. As he reviews the company’s Equipment Maintenance history, he is concerned that there is no coherent Maintenance Strategy – i.e., except for some cases (e.g., critical machines) where the company uses Preventive Maintenance. For all other machines & equipment, they’re fixed when they break down. In order to streamline the Maintenance Department, Vijay is keen to adopt a Predictive Maintenance Strategy. In this context, …

a. Describe the Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance approaches, along with their respective Pros & Cons.

b. Explain the Predictive Maintenance approach and why Vijay would want to adopt it to overcome the problems of Reactive Maintenance & Preventive Maintenance.

3a. Quality Awards are not only about rewarding organizations but also about recognizing the importance of quality in the business. These awards are often used as a tool to raise awareness among both Employees and as well, Customers about the importance of quality. They also help to improve Customer Satisfaction and Employee Morale. Discuss the difference between Regional and International Awards.

3. b. With reference to Quality Awards, what are the Deming Criteria (any 4) for Performance Excellence in assessing the award?

Managing Business Process Outsourcing

1. As the project manager at Pioneer Inc. which is a Insurance company in USA, you are tasked with identifying an off-shore BPO provider to handle the company’s back office operations. What critical checks would you perform during the due diligence process, and how would you gather the necessary information to ensure an informed decision?

2. TechNova Solutions, a mid-sized IT firm, is planning to expand its operations globally. To support this growth, the company aims to develop a capability sourcing strategy that ensures optimal allocation of resources, cost efficiency, and access to specialized skills. The leadership team is debating between in-house development, outsourcing, and forming strategic partnerships.

As a consultant, analyze the key factors TechNova should consider while designing its capability sourcing strategy. Provide recommendations based on their goal of sustainable growth and competitiveness.

3. Background:

XYZ Retail, a leading e-commerce company headquartered in the United States, has revolutionized online shopping with its customer-centric approach, competitive pricing, and wide range of product offerings. Over the past five years, the company has expanded its operations to several countries across North America, Europe, and Asia, resulting in exponential growth in revenue and customer base. However, this rapid expansion has led to increasing operational complexities, higher overhead costs, and challenges in managing non-core functions such as customer support, payroll processing, and data entry.

The Challenge:

To focus on its core business strategies and improve efficiency, XYZ Retail has decided to outsource these non-core processes to a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider. The goal is to achieve cost optimization, streamline operations, and enhance customer satisfaction while ensuring compliance with international regulations and data security standards.

The Options:

After extensive market research, XYZ Retail shortlisted three potential BPO providers:

1. Provider A:

A global leader in BPO services with over 20 years of industry experience.
Proven expertise in managing large-scale operations for Fortune 500 clients.
High focus on quality assurance, data security, and compliance.
Service costs are 30% higher than competitors due to premium offerings.

2. Provider B:

A mid-sized BPO provider with 10 years of experience.
Strong reputation for customer service and quick adaptability to client needs.
Competitive pricing with flexible service packages.
Limited scalability and fewer global delivery centers.

3. Provider C:

A new entrant in the BPO market, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI and automation.
Aggressive pricing strategy, with costs nearly 40% lower than Provider A.
Potential for innovation-driven efficiency gains.
O Limited track record and concerns over operational reliability and compliance.

The Decision Process:

XYZ Retail’s leadership team is divided on the selection of the BPO partner. Some members advocate for Provider A, citing its reliability and proven expertise, while others prefer the cost-effectiveness and customer-centric approach of Provider B. A few are intrigued by Provider C’s innovative solutions but remain cautious about the risks of partnering with a

new player in the market.

To make an informed decision, the leadership team has outlined the following evaluation criteria:

Cost Efficiency: Balancing cost savings with service quality.
Operational Excellence: Assessing the provider’s ability to handle high volumes
while maintaining accuracy.
Technology Integration: Compatibility with XYZ Retail’s existing systems and the ability to innovate.
Scalability: Capacity to support XYZ Retail’s growth trajectory.
Cultural Fit: Alignment with the company’s values and customer-first philosophy.
Risk Management: Data security, compliance, and operational reliability.

Your Task:

As the project manager for this initiative, you are tasked with evaluating the shortlisted providers and recommending the best fit for XYZ Retail. The decision must align with the company’s strategic goals and address both immediate and long-term needs.

3a. Evaluate the potential risks of choosing each Provider A, B & C, and propose strategies to mitigate them.

3b. Discuss the role of cultural fit and customer focus in selecting a BPO partner for a company like XYZ Retail.

Business & Allied Law

1. A car manufacturing company, XYZ Pvt. Ltd., entered into a contract with a supplier, Rubcotex Enterprises, for the delivery of synthetic rubber worth ₹20,00,000. The contract stipulated that Rubcotex must deliver the rubber within 45 days. However, the supplier failed to provide the rubber on time, causing production bottlenecks and significant losses to XYZ Pvt. Ltd. What are the legal implications of a breach of contract and remedies available to XYZ Pvt. Ltd., as per the Indian Contract Act, 1872?

2. Ramkrishna Traders is a partnership firm formed by three partners -- Tina, Amit, and Kamal. As per the partnership deed, each partner has contributed equal capital and receives an equal share in profits. After four years of operation, Amit decided to retire due to health issues. With the consent of Tina and Kamal, Amit wants to admit his 16-year-old son, Anish, to the partnership in his place. Discuss the legal implications of Amit’s retirement as per the Indian Partnership Act, 1932. Additionally, analyze whether Anish can be admitted as a partner and his legal position in the firm.

3. Ishaan purchased a premium smartwatch manufactured by ABCTech Pvt Ltd. for Rs 15,000 from TechShop.com, an e-commerce platform. The product came with a one-year warranty. However, within a month of usage, the smartwatch malfunctioned, causing Ishaan a minor electric shock when wearing it. Ishaan immediately reported the issue to TechShop.com and requested a replacement. Since the 15-day return window had lapsed, TechShop refused to assist and asked Ishaan to contact the manufacturer. But, ABCTech also did not accept liability, arguing that Ishaan might have mishandled the smartwatch.

a. As Ishaan believes the product was defective, how can he hold the e-commerce platform and manufacturer liable under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019?

b. What defenses can TechShop.com and ABCTech Pvt. Ltd raise in this case?

Business Communication

1. You have been invited for a crucial meeting and this is your wonderful chance to make a good impression as your head of marketing will be present in the meeting. You have been tasked to moderate the meeting. What are the things that you should keep in mind during and after the meeting to maximize benefits from the outcome of this meeting?

2. People are spitting chewing gums and pan masala in the newly constructed washroom. All the newly constructed design has taken a bad shape and the housekeeping staff is complaining about it. You need to end this practice. Write a memo to all the employees sensitizing them about the business etiquettes and general guidelines of using the washroom.

3. ABC coaching academy has started recently. They understand that coaching is a different industry and they have lined up the best faculties and have priced themselves low than their competitors. However, since they do not have credentials to support, they intend to write emails to prospective parents addressing their possible concerns of putting their children to this coaching academy. To expand their business, they are also inviting franchisees. ABC coaching academy is looking to open 2-3 franchisees now as they are new.

a. Write an email to a couple of possible people who would be willing to invest in franchisees. Your email should be convincing them to open new branches across the city?

b. Write a letter to all the parents assuring them the best for their children and answer the possible queries that they may have?

Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

1. You are the marketing manager at a popular beverage company, SparkFizz Co. The company is about to launch a new energy drink targeted at young adults. During product testing, you discover that the drink contains high levels of sugar and caffeine, which could lead to potential health risks if consumed in large quantities. You are offered a significant bonus if the product achieves record-breaking sales in the first quarter. Promoting the drink as “healthy and energizing” would likely boost sales but would mislead customers. However, the company's product launch depends on your marketing campaign. Highlighting the health risks transparently could lead to lower sales and damage the company’s reputation, potentially leading to layoffs. Identify whether the situation presents an ethical temptation, an ethical dilemma, or both. Justify your answer with the key differences between the two concepts.

2. Tech Pro Inc., a leading software development firm, is considering two options to increase profitability. The first option involves outsourcing its customer service operations to a country with lower labor costs, which will significantly reduce expenses but may lead to a slight decline in service quality. The second option requires investing in an advanced customer service training program, which will enhance service quality but will be expensive and yield slower returns.

After consulting the board of directors, the CEO decides to outsource customer service operations. This decision aligns with the shareholder model because it ensures higher immediate profits and better dividends for shareholders. However, the decision receives criticism from some employees and customers who feel it undermines service quality.

How does the decision to outsource customer service reflect the shareholder model of business ethics? What are the ethical implications in this case?

3. Aman Mathur is the CEO of Super Tech, a fast-growing technology firm. Recently, Aman noticed that some of his senior managers were not adhering to the company’s policy on expense reporting, approving inflated claims without proper checks. Although the amounts were small, Aman knew this could snowball into a larger issue if left unaddressed.

To set the tone at the top, Aman called a meeting with all managers. During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of integrity and transparency in all business operations, including expense reporting. He shared examples of how small ethical lapses can lead to larger scandals and harm the company’s reputation. Aman also voluntarily shared his own expense reports with the team, demonstrating full compliance with the rules. Additionally, he introduced stricter audit mechanisms and announced a rewards program for employees who demonstrate ethical behavior.
By addressing the issue openly and leading by example, Aman reinforced the importance of ethical conduct at all levels of the organization.

a. What does ‘tone at the top’ means? How did Aman’s actions demonstrate the concept of "Tone at the Top"?

b. What specific steps did Aman take to promote ethical behavior in Super Tech?

Business Statistics for Decision Making

1. The management of Swift Rides Pvt. Ltd., a ride-sharing service, wants to understand the factors affecting the Average Daily Rides across their network. They hypothesize that three key variables drive the number of daily rides: Average Daily Active Users, Surge Pricing (Average Multiplier), and Weather Conditions (coded as 1 for adverse weather like rain or snow, and 0 for normal weather). The company has collected monthly data over the last three years.

Table 1: Data Set

Period	Average Daily Rides	Average Daily Active Users	Surge Pricing (Avg. Multiplier)	Weather Conditions (1-Adverse, 0-Normal)
Jan-21	12,500	25,000	1.5	1
Feb-21	14,000	27,000	1.2	0
Mar-21	13,800	26,800	1.4	0
Apr-21	12,200	24,500	1.6	1
May-21	11,700	23,000	1.7	1
Jun-21	14,300	28,000	1.2	0
Jul-21	15,000	29,500	1.3	0
Aug-21	13,500	27,000	1.5	1
Sep-21	12,900	26,200	1.4	1
Oct-21	14,800	28,500	1.3	0
Nov-21	13,200	26,000	1.4	1
Dec-21	11,900	24,500	1.6	1
Jan-22	12,600	25,500	1.5	1
Feb-22	14,500	27,500	1.2	0
Mar-22	13,900	27,000	1.4	0
Apr-22	12,800	24,800	1.6	1
May-22	11,800	23,200	1.7	1
Jun-22	14,700	28,800	1.2	0
Jul-22	15,300	30,000	1.3	0
Aug-22	13,700	27,200	1.5	1
Sep-22	13,100	26,500	1.4	1
Oct-22	14,900	29,000	1.3	0
Nov-22	13,300	26,300	1.4	1
Dec-22	12,000	24,700	1.6	1
Jan-23	12,700	25,700	1.5	1
Feb-23	14,600	27,700	1.2	0
Mar-23	14,000	27,200	1.4	0
Apr-23	12,900	25,000	1.6	1
May-23	12,000	23,500	1.7	1
Jun-23	14,800	29,000	1.2	0
Jul-23	15,400	30,500	1.3	0
Aug-23	13,800	27,500	1.5	1
Sep-23	13,200	26,800	1.4	1
Oct-23	14,700	28,800	1.3	0
Nov-23	13,400	26,500	1.4	1
Dec-23	12,100	25,000	1.6	1

On the basis of data given in Table 1, compute the correlation of Average Daily Rides with each independent variable. Perform a multiple regression analysis using the data. Provide insights based on the following metrics:

Adjusted R-square.
Multiple R
ANOVA results (significance of variables)

2. On the basis of the data given in Table 1:

Compute the measures of central tendency of Average Daily Rides, Average Daily Active Users, and Surge Pricing (Average Multiplier).
Compute the standard deviations of these 3 variables.
Construct the histogram for each of these three variables, and comment on their skewness.

3. Cura Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a distributor of prescription drugs, manages inventory for a critical medication used in hospitals. The company has observed that demand during the lead time (the time between placing an order with the supplier and receiving the stock) is normally distributed with a mean of 500 units and a standard deviation of 120 units. To avoid shortages in critical situations, the company places a reorder when the inventory falls to 600 units. However, there have been instances of stock-outs, which the management is keen to address.

a. What is the probability of a stock-out (i.e., demand during lead time exceeding 600 units)?

b. The management wants to ensure the probability of a stock-out is no more than 5%. What should the reorder point be (i.e., what should the inventory level be when the company places a reorder)?

Consumer Behaviour

1. How has Amul planned its expansion in the US market? How is it giving the consumers in the US “The taste of India”?

Note: - Please refer article of business standard of 25th March 2024 for writing this answer.

2. How are consumers staying digitally relevant in today’s context? How is the online sales increasing and how is it benefiting the consumer?

Note: - Please refer business standard article of 2nd June 2024 for writing this answer titled Selling like hot cakes: Online sales blaze as consumers click to stay cool.

3. Case Study

Prices of consumer durables may go up

Container prices have shot up by up to 300 per cent in the past one month owing to geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran following the former’s attack on Hamas, causing shortages and pushing consumer durables companies to increase prices.

Companies have planned increases but some are yet to decide on the extent of the increase. “Inventory shortages, worsened by disruption in the Red Sea due to geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran, are significantly impacting the logistics landscape.

There is a noticeable shortage of inventories across China, especially in East and South China, compared to its demand. This imbalance has caused shipping container prices to increase by 150-300 per cent, depending on factors like lot size and material type, making it more challenging for businesses to secure cargo space for shipments,” Arjun Bajaj, director at Videotex, an Indian original equipment manufacturer/original design manufacturer, told Business Standard.

He said there was an upward trend in container costs, with prices changing every week and were expected to go up even further, with no clear timeline for resolution from freight operators. This is affecting not only India but also the global supply chain.

The company has not decided on the price increase. However, Super Plastronics, a Kodak brand licensee, is planning to increase prices by 3-5 per cent in June and another 3-5 per cent in July on its TV sets. Avneet Singh Marwah, chief executive officer, said due to rising container prices, coupled with raw material prices shooting up, the company was forced to go in for another round of price elevation. “This situation is similar to the one we faced during the pandemic years, where costs were constantly increasing and we were forced to make our products costlier,” he said. Bajaj said:

“The rise in costs has led to higher manufacturing expenses, increased working capital requirements, disrupted the cash flow, extended production timelines, and complicated delivery schedules. To address these challenges, we are strengthening our collaboration with logistics partners and implementing careful inventory management practices. Currently, Videotex has managed the situation, maintaining sufficient inventories to meet production demands for the next three months.” B Thiagarajan, managing director, Blue Star, said China’s growth seemed to have revived and the US is also going to start witnessing growth.

“The world doesn’t have that much material to offer to cope with this growth. However, India is the hottest country in terms of growth,” Thiagarajan said. The company raised prices by 3 per cent ten days ago and it would keep monitoring the situation. If prices reduce then the company will roll back the price increase, he said. Thiagarajan anticipates a huge shortage of raw material due to growth in various economies. “You pay a price for growth. The price is going to be the waiting period and then there is going to be a cost attached to it.”

Note: - This article is from 30th May 2024. Kindly refer business standard newspaper for reading this article.

a. Why are the consumer durables companies increasing the prices? What other factor has caused the cost to increase?

b. How much is super plastronics increasing its price and why? What is the reason for the cost going spiral which will impact the customer after all?

Corporate Finance

Q1. XYZ Ltd. is considering a proposal of installing a Machine. The equipment would involve a Cash outlay of Rs. 25,00,000. The expected life of the project is 5 years without any salvage value. Below cashflow will be achieved by the organization:

Year	Cash Inflows
1	600000
2	700000
3	750000
4	800000

Discounting rate is 8%

Find out the PV of Cash Inflows, NPV, and Profitability Index.

Q2. The following particulars are available in respect of three investment proposals

	Project A	Project B	Project C
Cost (in Rs.)	1,00,000	1,20,000	1,40,000
Annual savings (in Rs.)	30,000	32,000	34,000
Estimated scrap (in Rs.)	16,000	20,000	30,000
Life (in years)	12	10	9
Taking interest rate to be 8% p.a. rank these proposals by using
Net present value method and Profitability index method.

Q3. Being Working Capital Consultant, your client is planning to start a business related to FMCG sector and he is confused that how much working capital will be required to start his business and also, he wants to know that why service industry requires less working capital, find out:

a. How to determine the working capital requirement of FMCG business.

b. Why service industry requires less working capital as compare to manufacturing industry.

Cost and Management Accounting

Question 1:

Raja Brothers manufactures a product X. It is estimated that for each ton of material consumed, 1.00 articles should be produced. The standard price per ton of material is Rs. 10. During the first week in January 2024, 100 tons of material were issued to production, the price of which was Rs. 10.50 per ton. Production during the week was 10,200 articles. Compute the Cost Variance, Price Variance, Usage Variance, and Yield Variance with verification and workings.

Question 2:

You are required to prepare an operating cost sheet showing the cost of electricity generated per unit of kWh by KLM Thermal Power Station for the year 2024.

Total units generated	7,00,000 kWh ₹
Operating Labour	43,750
Plant Supervision	6,250
Lubricants & Supplies	32,500
Repairs & Maintenance	21,000
Administrative Overhead	56,500
Capital cost	1,00,000

Following is the additional information:

Depreciation rate chargeable is 2% per annum.
Interest on capital is 11%.
Coal consumed per kWh for the year is 2.205 lb and cost of coal delivered to the power station is Rs.125 per metric ton.

Question 3:

3. a. “Product costing is the process of calculating the costs associated with a product, while service costing is the process of calculating the costs associated with a service.”

To elaborate the above, explain the meaning of the two types and then distinguish between Service Costing and Product Costing.

3. b. Dan Ltd manufactures a single commodity with a marginal cost of Rs.0.75 per unit. Rs.12,000 are fixed expenses. The demand is such that it can exchange up to Rs.40,000 units at Rs.1.50 per unit, so all further purchases are to be done at Rs.1.00 per unit. A planned profit of Rs.20,000 is in operation. How many units must be made and sold?

Customer Relationship Management

Q1. Analytical CRM is significant in analyzing new customer behavior and improving relationships with existing customer. Justify this statement with an example from any service firm.

Q2. There are multiple reasons which are central to the unsuccessful implementation of CRM leading to huge losses for a company. Design a CRM implementation Strategy for a newly launched Café in hills of Uttrakhand.

Q3. Case Study:

Honda manufactures and markets a successful range of motorcycle, power equipment and marine products. Honda recognized that while it was diligently nurturing individual relationships with partners, dealers and customers, each was closed off from the others. Inevitably, this meant valuable customer data being trapped in pockets within the organization and not available to potential users. Honda realized that consolidating and freeing up the flow of data could have a huge positive impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the business.

Honda developed a strategy themed ‘Customers for Life’, based on data integration and a whole-of-customer view. Honda found customer-related data in numerous spreadsheets and databases across the business. These were integrated into a single CRM platform, supplied by salesforce.com, and hosted in the cloud. This was enriched with customer information from Honda Rider Training (HRT), Automobile Association memberships. Honda then removed responsibility for managing customer relationships from individual departments and moved it to the one CRM unit. Honda has built workflows into customer touchpoints, for example customer satisfaction surveys, guaranteeing follow-up of any negative comments.

Q3a. Describe how data management at Honda could help build and strengthen Honda’s customer relationship.

Q3b. Honda’s strategy “Customers for Life” a pioneer step in creating a whole of customer view in one place. Discuss how this strategy is beneficial for employees and customers.

Financial Statement Analysis

Q1. ABC ltd. Is about to finalise their financial statements, For the year ended June, 30, 2024. The intended authorisation date of financial statements is September 15, 2024. Following are the events that occurred since June 30, 2024, explain the type of event and their treatment in financial statements:

Sr. No.	Events
1	On July 12, 2024, word came in that a foreign client had filed for liquidation in May of that year. There are currently no opportunities for this debt to be recovered.
2	The company offered 1,000 copies of Product A for just ` 15 each on July 15, 2024. The price per unit was ` 20. However, due to damage brought on by improper handling on June 25, 2024, this Product’s value has been reduced to its NRV of ` 17 per unit on June 30, 2011.
3	Due to damage from water spoilage on August 5, 2024 the company sold 1,000 pieces of Product B for just ` 12 each on August 15. The price per unit was `20. However, on June 30, 2011, this Product had been valued at its NRV of `15 per unit.
4	On June 27, 2024, an asset was acquired and put into service. However, on July 5, 2024, an invoice was received.
5	ABC Limited declared on July 7, 2024, that it would stop making Product C due to high losses, which accounted for 22% of total sales

Q2. XYZ Ltd. prepares its financial statements annually. It assumes the business will continue indefinitely, records expenses when incurred, and ensures consistency in accounting practices over years. Explain the fundamental accounting assumptions applied in XYZ Ltd.'s financial reporting.

Q3. An investor is evaluating two companies: one with stable cash flows and another with significant growth potential. Discuss two main valuation techniques they could use and explain which technique suits each company's characteristics.

a. Economical Value Added

b. Market Value Added

Fundamentals of Taxation

1. Appraise the concept of taxation by defining key terms such as Person, Assessee, Income, Assessment Year, and Previous Year. Additionally, elucidate the determination of Total Income under various Heads of Income and the Basis of Charge as per the Income Tax Act.

2. Interpret the concept and significance of GST in India. Demonstrate its scope, key features, and the principles of subsumation of taxes. Briefly outline the GST model adopted in India and its implications.

3. Mr. Ramesh runs a retail business. For the financial year 2023-24, the following details are available regarding his income and expenses:

Gross receipts from sales: ₹20,00,000
Purchases: ₹10,00,000
Rent for business premises: ₹2,50,000
Salary paid to employees: ₹3,00,000
Depreciation on business assets: ₹1,00,000
Interest on business loan: ₹50,000
Penalty for late filing of GST return: ₹20,000
Personal travel expenses (recorded as business expense): ₹30,000

Additionally, Mr. Ramesh has earned ₹1,00,000 as interest from fixed deposits unrelated to the business.

a. Compute the Net Profit chargeable under "Profits and Gains of Business or Profession," excluding disallowable expenses.

b. Calculate the Total Income of Mr. Ramesh, considering the interest income from fixed deposits, and explain its treatment.

Integrated Marketing Communications

1. Citing from your own practical experience which marketing communication has influenced you to purchase your favorite product and what was your experience after you used the product?

2. What is the role of integrated marketing communication in various mediums and how does it influence the consumer? What is the strategy for the launch of a new brand extension product and how will you ensure that the product will be a big success?

3. Case Study

Brand Maggi stronger than ever as Nestlé India gears up for new leader

Nothing has presented “two minutes” as tastefully as Maggi since its entry into India over four decades ago. When it first arrived in the country in 1983, Nestlé’s “two-minute noodles” faced a daunting task: Cracking the traditional roti-sabzi market. But with an instantly catchy Doordarshan campaign, Maggi not only created a new category of snacking but also came to dominate it. Today, Maggi remains the undisputed champion of the instant noodle segment, Notwithstanding a near existential crisis a few years ago and intense competition. Nestlé India is poised for a leadership change as Suresh Narayanan, who became chairman and managing director in 2015 when the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had ordered a nationwide recall of Maggi noodles due to high levels of lead found in the product, prepares to retire in July 2025. His tenure and departure offer a moment to reflect on the resilience and committed following of the brand Maggi. For an insight, look no further than the popular “Tom Uncle’s Maggi Point” at Delhi University’s North Campus.

Run by Sandeep Kataria, affectionately known as “Tom Uncle,” this kiosk has served Maggi since 1993. “We started selling Maggi back then and never stopped,” he recalls, reflecting the brand’s place in the hearts — and stomachs — of generations of students. Brand consultants agree that Maggi has transcended its product category. Samit Sinha, founder of Alchemist brand consulting, notes: “Maggi wasn’t the first instant noodle in India, but it became synonymous with the category. Originally aimed at children, it quickly spread and became a staple at the remotest households of the country.” This reach proved vital in 2015 when Maggi faced its most turbulent period with FSSAI banning the instant noodles sales for five-month sales. Around 35,000 tonnes of noodles were pulled off shelves and destroyed. Yet, despite the turmoil, Maggi emerged unscathed, with even more dedicated fans, because of “traction and momentum” it had established long before the crisis. Nestlé responded by doubling down on its distribution network, expanding its reach to 205,000 villages under the Rurban strategy.

“The spread and reach of the brand have made it ubiquitous and an important part of the country’s fabric today.” At the height of the 2015 crisis, Kataria aka "Tom Uncle”, recalls “students who visited the stall during those days would ask if there was a packet still lying somewhere. Once the brand was back on shelves, it started selling more than ever before.” Santosh Desai, a noted brand expert and CEO and MD of Future Brands, suggests that Maggi found a perfect niche within Indian consumer preferences, positioning itself as an accessible and adaptable staple. “There was an inherent fondness and affection for the brand, which enabled its quick revival in 2015.It is also a brand that continued to evolve itself as the years flew by.” While Nestlé India’s net sales tumbled 17.2 per cent in 2015 owing to the crisis, Maggi quickly regained its position as the market leader in 2016 with over 60 per cent market share. Today India is the brand’s biggest market globally, with more than six billion serves in the last year. The brand is part of the prepared dishes and cooking aids portfolio, which contributed to 30.4 per cent of total sales in 2023.

The Maggi product-line has also evolved over time. The company launched vegetable atta noodles in 2005, an oats variant in 2014, and more recently, a Korean-flavoured noodle in 2023 to tap into India’s Hallyu wave. This product diversification has kept the brand fresh and responsive to changing consumer tastes.

Questions:

a. How has Maggi done in the Indian Market and how has its marketing communication helped it relate to the entire set of customers from young to old?

b. What Integrated communication strategy did Maggi adopt to regain its top position and how has it managed the same by regaining the customers trust and its market share after its debacle in 2015 where it lost a big chunk of market share?

Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management

1. Riya is an aspiring entrepreneur who has recently come up with a promising idea for a tech startup. However, she faces a major hurdle – raising enough funds to bring her vision to life. After exploring various options, Riya decides to approach the capital market to seek funding. She begins researching how the capital market works and realizes that it can play a vital role in the growth of her startup. Highlights the functions of capital market plays in the financial system.

2. Arvind is a financial analyst working at a leading investment firm. Arvind decides to use the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to calculate the expected return on the stock. While working on the model, Arvind’s senior warnings about the limitations of CAPM, especially in real-world applications. Although CAPM is a widely used model, it comes with certain assumptions that might not always hold true in the actual market. Describe all those limitations which Arvind has to keep in mind.

3a. Mr. Aditya purchase 500 shares of XYZ co. at Rs.100 each. During the year company declare a dividend 50 per share. At the end of year Mr. Aditya sale, the shares at Rs.200 per share. Calculate total return at the end of the year.

b. Ajay has recently started investing in the stock market. He has been reading a lot about the potential of earning high returns, but he is also keen on understanding the various costs associated with trading stocks. Suppose you are good friend of Ajay & investing in the stock market from last few years. Explain him about the different types of transaction costs involved while trading.

Micro Economics

1. ABC Manufacturing produces a popular brand of smartphones and is planning to launch a new model in a highly competitive market. To decide on the pricing strategy, the management wants to understand how the demand for their smartphones will change if they alter the price. They also wish to explore how different types of products may react differently to price changes.

In the context of ABC Manufacturing’s scenario, explain the concept of price elasticity of demand. Discuss the various types of price elasticity of demand and how this understanding can help the company determine an effective pricing strategy for their new smartphone model.

2. Explain the concepts of Total Utility and Marginal Utility with appropriate illustrations and their real-life applications. Given the data, compute the Marginal Utility for each unit of the good consumed, and analyze how it changes as consumption increases.

Unit Consumed	Total Utility	Marginal Utility
0	0
1	15
2	27
3	36
4	42
5	45

3a. Mr. Arjun, an economics student, is preparing a project comparing different types of economies. While researching, he learns about the capitalist, socialist, and mixed economic systems and their unique features. However, he is particularly interested in understanding the role of government in a capitalist or free enterprise system and a socialist system.

In the context of Mr. Arjun’s research, elaborate on the three types of economies and the role of the government in each economy.

3b. Calculate the price elasticity of supply (PES) from the given data and interpret the result.

Price (Rs)	Quantity Supplied (Units)
100	40
120	50

Operations and Supply Chain Management

1. Explain the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process in the context of the automotive industry by discussing strategies for adjusting production capacity and managing fluctuating demand. Highlight how quantitative techniques for aggregate planning are applied in the automotive sector, considering the hierarchical nature of planning from strategic to operational levels.

2. Describe the role of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in the pharmaceutical industry. Discuss their applications in enhancing operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and innovation management. Highlight how these systems contribute to maintaining competitiveness in a highly regulated and dynamic sector.

3a. Examine the concept of Lean Systems in the healthcare sector by discussing the basic elements of Lean Systems, strategies for successful implementation, and their application in improving operational efficiency and patient care in hospitals.

3b. Analyze the concept of scheduling in healthcare sector by discussing key scheduling techniques and their application in optimizing resource utilization, reducing patient waiting times, and improving service quality in hospitals.

Operations Research

1. An automobile manufacturing company is evaluating the expected demand for a new electric vehicle (EV) model to optimize its production plan. Due to uncertainty in market demand, the company has decided to use Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the likely range of monthly sales. Historical data suggests that demand follows a normal distribution with a mean of 1,000 units and a standard deviation of 200 units. Using random numbers, simulate the monthly sales for 10 months and compute the average sales over this period. Discuss the importance of Monte Carlo simulation in handling uncertainty in demand forecasting. Apply the simulation for the given scenario and analyze the results to suggest an optimal production plan for the EV model.

2. You are a procurement manager for an electronics manufacturing company tasked with optimizing the transportation of raw materials from multiple warehouses to various production facilities using transportation problem-solving techniques. There are four warehouses (W1, W2, W3, W4) and five production facilities (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5). The supply and demand at each location are as follows:

Warehouse	Supply (in tons)
W1	40
W2	30
W3	25
W4	35
Production Facility	Demand (in tons)
P1	30
P2	25
P3	35
P4	20
P5	20

The transportation costs (in $ per ton) from each warehouse to each production facility are:

	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5
W1	7	6	9	8	5
W2	6	5	7	4	6
W3	8	7	5	6	4
W4	5	4	6	7	8

Firstly, derive an initial basic feasible solution using Vogel's Approximation Method (VAM) to find the initial feasible solution for transporting raw materials from warehouses to production facilities while minimizing transportation costs. Then, use the stepping stone method to identify potential improvements in the initial solution and determine the optimal solution, providing a step-by-step analysis of the stepping stone method, including detailed calculations, improvement possibilities, and the updated allocation in the transportation table.

3. You are managing a large-scale renewable energy power plant construction project. The project consists of multiple interdependent activities that must be carefully planned and executed to ensure timely commissioning of the facility. Consider the following activities and their dependencies:

1. Land Clearance (A)

2. Foundation Construction (B)

3. Turbine Installation (C)

4. Power Transmission Setup (D)

5. Control Room Configuration (E)

6. External Landscaping (F)

7. Final Testing and Handover (G)

The estimated durations and dependencies are as follows:

Activity	Duration (weeks)	Dependencies
A	2	-
B	5	A
C	6	A
D	4	B, C
E	3	D
F	2	D, E
G	1	F

Part a: Using this data, create a project schedule to identify the earliest start and finish times for each activity. Determine the critical path for the project and calculate the total project duration.

Now assume activity durations follow a normal distribution with the following means and standard deviations:

Activity	Mean Duration (weeks)	Standard Deviation (weeks)
A	2	0.3
B	5	0.8
C	6	0.9
D	4	0.4
E	3	0.5
F	2	0.3
G	1	0.2

Part b: Using the provided data, calculate the probability of completing the project in 14 weeks or less and the probability of completing the project between 13 and 15 weeks.

Performance Management System

Q1. To motivate the employees for excelling in performance, there should be a direct link between employee performance with rewards and career growth of employees. You being the HR Manager of the company, what steps would you suggest in the appraisal process to achieve this?

Q2. You are the Leader of a ten members team. You notice that a bright member of your team is not able to meet the deadlines. So, you decide for performance feedback meeting with the team mate. During discussion, the team mate reveals that due to personal problems, he is not able to focus on his job and missing the deadlines. You want to support your team member. Explain the benefits of performance feedback and steps would you take as the Leader to balance the empathy towards team member with the organization’s need for constant productivity?

Q3a. You are a newly promoted manager in a large organization. You noticed that one of your team members who showed good potential during recruitment process is consistently underperforming. You are also considering that the reason for underperformance might be beyond the control of your team member. You want to address this issue effectively. So how can a performance management system assist in identifying and resolving this issue related to the employee’s performance, and what steps should you take to ensure fairness in this process?

Q3b. For increasing the productivity of employees, their performance needs to be compared with the predetermined goals. You being the Manager of a team of seven employees, how will you decide that there is a focus on goal setting and what method/methods will you suggest to evaluate the performance of the employees against predetermined goals?

Project Management

1. Discuss the four types of project closure using suitable examples and explain the key characteristics of each type and their implications for project management?

2. Discuss the eight steps in the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) process as described by Longman and Englund. Illustrate your explanation with relevant examples, highlighting the significance of each step in ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

3. Explain the concept of Earned Value Analysis (EVA) in project management by solving the following:

3.a) You are the project manager of a project with a budget of ₹1,200,000. The project duration is 8 months, and two teams are working for a total of 12,000 hours. As per the project schedule, 45% of the work should be completed by now. However, the project is 50% complete, and 60% of the budget has been spent. Calculate PV, EV, CV, SV, CPI, and SPI, and interpret the results.

3.b) Your project is scheduled for 18 months. Five teams are working on three critical deliverables. Some teams are ahead of schedule, while others lag. Some areas face cost overruns, while others see cost savings, making it challenging to assess whether the project is over or under budget. Six months into the project, with a total budget of ₹3,600,000, you have already been spent ₹1,500,000, and the CPI is 0.8. Calculate the EAC, ETC, and VAC, and interpret the results.

Research Methodology

1. You are a research consultant hired by a mid-sized online grocery delivery service, QuickGrocer, which has been operational for three years. Despite its growing customer base, the company has been receiving a surge in customer complaints. Customers frequently report that their orders are not delivered within the promised timeframe. This has led to negative reviews and a drop in repeat purchases. Items such as fresh produce, dairy products, and household essentials are often unavailable, frustrating customers and driving them to competitors. Customers feel that the platform does not cater to their preferences or purchase history, making the shopping experience less engaging. The company collects vast amounts of transactional data (order history, purchase frequency) and behavioral data (browsing patterns, abandoned carts) but has not yet developed an effective strategy to leverage this data for operational and customer-centric improvements. Develop a comprehensive research plan to address these challenges. Your research plan should include the following components: identification of the research problem and the data collection process.

2. Ananya and Kunal are conducting research on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in improving customer service experiences in the banking industry. They aim to gather data from customers and banking professionals to understand perceptions, challenges, and opportunities associated with AI-driven customer service. As their supervisor, what steps would you recommend to them for designing a questionnaire that effectively captures the required data? Additionally, explain the key characteristics of a good questionnaire that they should consider before distributing it to respondents.

3. A leading fintech company in India, PaySmart, aims to expand its reach and improve the user experience of its mobile payment application. Despite a growing user base, the company faces challenges in understanding why some customers are reluctant to adopt mobile payment apps. Factors such as trust, usability, security concerns, and cultural influences seem to play significant roles. PaySmart wants to conduct a research study to explore these factors in detail and identify actionable insights to increase adoption rates among diverse user groups across urban and rural areas.

a. To answer the research question: “What factors influence the adoption of mobile payment applications in India, and how can fintech companies address barriers to enhance user acceptance?" Mention the steps you will include to perform a Literature Review on understanding factors influencing mobile payment app adoption in India.

b. Discuss the steps you will take to conduct this research and answer the research question: What factors influence the adoption of mobile payment applications in India, and how can fintech companies address barriers to enhance user acceptance?".

Rural Marketing

1. Pricing plays an important role in Rural Markets how does a company selling agro inputs as fertilizers and seeds plan their pricing strategy.

2. Mr Sharma of Universal corporation wants to grow sales in the southern rural markets of India for a regional brand of Edible oils, what steps he should follow to increase the Brand Equity and increase market share.

3. Case study - Famous Garments

The company has been manufacturing and selling ladies and children garments for past two decades in rural markets, the sales are steady and the Brand is popular, however in the past two years the company is observing that there is a shift from its brand and sales are stagnant, the reasons analyzed are that the company does not rate and rank the garments as per different segments in the market and follows a pan India mass marketing strategy, the result is sales in certain regions are good and sales in some slow.

a. How does the company segment the markets for garments keeping in mind the Pan India approach?

b. What factors they should keep in mind in the segmentation process?

Sales Management

Q1. A leading retail chain has been experiencing inconsistent sales performance across its branches. The management believes that a lack of proper sales training is a key reason for this issue. As the sales manager, how would you design a sales training program to address this problem and improve overall performance?

Q2. Prepare a Sales Plan for a brand of electronic goods focusing in rural market.

Q3. Read the case & answer the questions based on the case:

A luxury hotel chain, Grandstay Hotels, has been facing challenges in increasing its corporate bookings and repeat customers. The management has decided to focus on personal selling to target high-end corporate clients and loyalty programs to encourage repeat visits. They plan to hire a dedicated sales team to personally interact with potential clients, offering customized packages and services.

As the Sales Manager of Grandstay Hotels, you are tasked with setting clear personal selling objectives and determining sales-related marketing policies to support this initiative.

Questions:

a) What objectives would you set for your sales team to achieve success in targeting corporate clients and increasing repeat customers? How would you ensure that these objectives align with the hotel’s overall goals?

b) What marketing policies should you implement to support the sales team’s efforts? How would you structure pricing, promotions, and loyalty programs to attract high-end corporate clients and encourage repeat visits?

Start your Start up

1. Ananya and Ravi, undergraduate students, attend a startup boot camp at their college. During a brainstorming session, the organizers challenge participants to generate an innovative business idea that addresses a common problem in urban areas. Ananya suggests creating a platform to connect people with leftover food to community kitchens and shelters to reduce food wastage. Ravi, on the other hand, proposes developing smart trash bins that incentivize waste segregation by offering discounts or coupons when used correctly. The duo is unsure which idea to pursue and how to refine their concepts into actionable business plans.

Question:

How would you evaluate the innovative ideas suggested by Ananya and Ravi. Which idea would you recommend for implementation and why? Suggest ways to refine the chosen idea for better execution.

2. Rohan, a college student passionate about technology, plans to launch a startup offering customized 3D-printed products, such as phone cases, jewellery, and decorative items. He believes his idea has potential but struggles to create a detailed business plan. His mentor suggests focusing on key components such as market analysis, value proposition, operations, revenue model, and marketing strategy. Rohan has identified a target audience of college students and young professionals but is unsure how to address other components of his business plan.

Question:

Help Rohan outline the key components of a startup business plan for his customized 3D- printed products. Provide specific examples to guide him in developing each component.

3. Arjun has launched a tech startup called "SmartServe" that provides AI-powered customer service solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. While the technology is innovative, the startup faces challenges such as limited market penetration, competition from established players, and difficulty in securing long-term clients. Arjun is now planning a strategic roadmap to scale his business. He is evaluating two critical areas: identifying his target market and designing a competitive pricing strategy to attract more clients while maintaining profitability.

Questions:

a) How can Arjun identify the right target market for "SmartServe" to ensure focused growth?

b) Suggest a competitive pricing strategy for "SmartServe" that balances client acquisition and profitability.

Strategic Brand Management

Q1. Phalada Pure & Sure is an Indian organic food brand that produces a variety of organic food products, including spices, grains, herbs, pulses, and snacks. The company works with farmers to support rural development and encourage organic farming practices. How can Phalada Pure & Sure position itself effectively in the Indian market to attract health-conscious consumers?

Q2. Fabindia is an Indian chain store retailing garments, home-decor, furnishings, fabrics and products handmade by craftspeople across rural India. Fabindia plans to introduce a skincare and wellness range. Outline the steps for this brand extension and discuss potential benefits and risks?

Q3a. Tata Motors wants to position its new electric vehicle (EV) as a leader in the market. Based on Jennifer Aaker’s brand personality scale, which two traits the brand should focus on, and how can these traits be communicated?

b. Top Breads is a local bakery in Sector 18, Noida Uttar Pradesh. Top Breads is facing a decline in customer interest as new bakery chains emerge in the area. How can Top Breads manage its brand over time to maintain its market share?

Strategic Management

1. Vikas is the CEO of "GreenTech Solutions," a mid-sized company that manufactures solar panels. The company has been experiencing declining sales over the past year due to increased competition, rising raw material costs, and changes in government policies. Vikas decides to conduct a strategic analysis to identify GreenTech's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to create a plan for future growth.

Question:

Using the SWOT analysis framework, help Vikas assess the current situation of GreenTech Solutions. Provide strategic recommendations based on the analysis to improve the company's performance.

2. Meera is the founder of "EcoWear," a startup producing biodegradable clothing. After initial success in her home city, Meera wants to scale her business nationally. However, she faces challenges like increasing competition, limited brand recognition, and higher logistics costs for nationwide distribution. To achieve sustainable growth, Meera decides to formulate a strategy that aligns her resources and capabilities with market opportunities.

Question:

Assist Meera in formulating a growth strategy for EcoWear by identifying key strategic goals and actionable steps.

3a. Ananya recently started a bakery called "Baked Bliss" that specializes in organic, gluten- free pastries. She wants her bakery to stand out in the market and develop a clear identity for customers. Ananya believes having a well-defined vision and mission statement will help her communicate her values and goals effectively. She asks for your help in drafting these statements.

Question:

Help Ananya create a vision and mission statement for "Baked Bliss" that reflects her goals for the bakery and the values she wants to promote.

3b. Ravi owns a small coffee shop, "Café Aroma," which offers a variety of coffee blends and snacks. While many coffee shops in his area offer similar products, Ravi wants to make Café Aroma stand out. He decides to differentiate his shop by offering unique, organic, and locally sourced ingredients, as well as a cozy, artsy environment with live performances on weekends. Ravi believes this will attract customers who appreciate high-quality, personalized experiences over standard offerings.

Question:

Explain how Ravi is using a differentiation strategy for Café Aroma and how this can benefit his business.

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